


What The Hell?

by SunnysFunny



Category: X-Men, X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23631181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnysFunny/pseuds/SunnysFunny
Summary: Something gets taken away from John aka Pyro. Will he get it back? Does he even want to try?
Relationships: John Allerdyce/Rogue
Kudos: 3





	1. Pyro's Dream

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. What would a pyromaniac dream about?  
> 2\. What would Pyro dream about?  
> 3\. It's a dream so it doesn't necessarily have to make sense.
> 
> A/N: I might have gone a little too far with # 3. This story was originally supposed to be a one-shot but it is not. I wrote this a long time ago so I promise my writing improves - I have to fix this to reflect that statement when I get the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story gets serious as it progresses.

**What the Hell?**

**Ch. 1**

**Pyro's Dream**

A building in the middle of nowhere and Pyro is standing in front of it. He stares at it wishing that it would go on fire, so he could watch it burn and eventually fall. Unfortunately to his disappointment, it doesn't go on fire but it crumbles and falls to the floor instead. Pyro simply shrugs at the rubble and moves on.

The trees are all on fire. "Now that's a sight," he said while looking up at the trees. The sky isn't blue but red instead, "That can't be good" he commented to himself. The ground is very hot but he doesn't notice. In the distance stands Rogue, she's pointing in the opposite direction. Pyro ignores her, but that was a mistake. In split second the trees went bare. The temperature drops and snowflakes begin to fall. He looked for his lighter, but it wasn't in any of his pockets. "Where's my damn lighter when you need it?" he mumbled as he folded his arms. Pyro went back to where Rogue was standing but she wasn't there anymore. He sighed, "Why don't I ever do what I'm told?"

The snow stops and the temperature rises. "Is this hell because it sure sucks," Pyro thought to himself. "It's boring too… there isn't anyone to annoy and the silence is slowly killing me!"

A bird flies over his head ... no, it doesn't poop on him but it does burst into flames. "Now that was awesome!" Pyro approved.

He walked about three miles and no one was in sight. The only building he saw was the one that crumbled right before his eyes.

Pyro stopped walking and was standing in the middle of... a road? He had no idea, but he'd had enough, "Where the fuck is everybody!" he screamed. He kicked the dust on the floor and mumbled, "And where the fuck am I?" Still frustrated Pyro kicked a nearby tree. A branch on fire fell from the tree. He got out of the way just in time, "That was close" he said as he looked at the branch on the ground.

He tried to get the flames to come to his hand but it didn't work. He tried again and the results were the same. That's when he realized his powers were gone.

Pyro looked down at his hands, "Fuck. Now, _this_ is hell!"

Less than a minute later John woke up.

"What the hell was Rogue doing in my dream?"


	2. Dream Analyzing & Obnoxious Chatter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story takes place 3 years after X2. John left The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants after a year. It took some time for Bobby and Rogue to forgive him but they did after a while. Bobby and Rogue broke up a year ago, but they are still friends. John is now 21. (That info is needed for an undeveloped chapter)
> 
> The story gets serious as it progresses.

**What The Hell?  
**

**Ch. 2**

**Dream Analyzing & Obnoxious Chatter**

After a crazy dream like that who could fall back asleep? At 5:30 in the morning. John got out of bed, grabbed his lighter and headed to the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, he splashed some water on his face to wake himself up.

John stared into the mirror, brown eyes staring back at him. He had a puzzled look on his face.

Once back into his room, he placed his lighter on the dresser and took out a black t-shirt and denim jeans. After getting dressed, he grabbed the lighter and put it in his right pocket. Then John went to the kitchen for some breakfast. He took a bowl from the cabinet followed by a spoon and grabbed his favorite cereal 'Apple Cheerios' from another cabinet. He opened the refrigerator and took out the milk. He poured the cereal in the bowl and then poured the milk into the bowl. He brought the bowl to the table and took a seat.

Two minutes later Bobby walked in.

"You're up early," Bobby said as he took a seat across from John.

"Yea, I had a weird dream and I couldn't fall back asleep."

"I wouldn't worry about it. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No... not really."

"Come on... they don't mean anything."

John looked at his friend thinking about the last thing he said, "Okay, fine. I don't know where I was, so don't ask. I was by myself mostly although Rogue showed up for a second and then disappeared. Trees were on fire and the sky was red. I didn't have my lighter with me which is very weird because as you and everyone in this school knows... it's with me twenty-four-seven," John took a breath. "Oh, one more thing," John paused. "My power was gone."

"Is that what you're freaking out about?" Bobby asked.

"Maybe," he muttered.

"Look, it's just a dream... stop being so dramatic. Why was Rogue in your dream?"

John shrugged, "I... I don't know."

Bobby grinned.

"What are you getting at?" John raised a brow.

"Oh I think you know," Bobby said slyly.

"We're just friends."

"Maybe your hormones want more," Bobby smirked.

John almost choked on his cereal, "Holy shit, did you just say that? That's something I would have said if the tables were turned. I think you're hanging around me too much. I'm letting all of my _good_ traits rub off on you, mini-me."

"Now that's a scary thought." Bobby shuddered.

John thought otherwise. "Two "Johns" running around reeking havoc... _now_ there's an interesting thought."

Bobby turned things around, "So, there were two "Johns" at the museum that day picking on humans?"

"Hey! He deserved it...he took my lighter when I simply said no... it's not my fault he was an ass."

Bobby pointed a finger at John, "If I recall correctly... _you_ were the ass."

"Was I talking about me? NO," John threw back with a grin.

"I'm just pointing out the facts."

 _'I'm just pointing out the facts,'_ He repeated, mocking his elemental opposite. "He was the ass and I'm sticking to it!" John slammed his fist on the table.

"Now you're definitely being dramatic"

"I think it's the cereal," suggested John.

"Probably. So what do you want to do today?" Bobby asked.

"Nothing," John replied.

"Sounds good to me."

"Really? Cause you _always_ want to do something," John said, pointing the spoon at Bobby.

"I'm 'mini you' now," Bobby grinned.

"Fine, but just remember I'm the original," he declared.

"Got it," Bobby said.

"Good."

The two became silent for a while. Bobby had a slight smirk on his face. John was eating his cereal slowly to get the cheerios mushy, the way he liked them.

"What now?" John asked, annoyed.

"Talk to Rogue. Maybe you two can go out."

"I don't want to ruin the friendship."

"I think there's more to it than that." Bobby was trying to get John to open up.

"I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right," John said, flicking his lighter.

Bobby was silent. He knew the right time to shut up and listen.

"It's like I'm supposed to be alone," John said quietly. He stood up and placed the dishes in the dishwasher. "I'll see you later, Bobby. I need to be by myself."


	3. Peace and quiet, maybe not

**What The Hell?  
**

**Ch. 3**

**Peace and quiet, maybe not**

John was outside on a bench slightly slouching, and alone as he wanted. He had the lighter in his hand just staring into the flames. He was in his own little world slowly drifting away from reality.

Rouge was taking a walk when she noticed John sitting by himself.

She came up from behind.

"John."

He jumped at the sudden sound of his name and immediately broke out of the state he was in. The lighter fell out of his hand and on to the grass. 'Click' the lighter closed as soon as it hit the ground.

"Yes, Rogue..." John said calmly even though she scared the crap out of him.

"You seem like you need to talk."

He went to pick up the lighter from the ground but Rogue beat him to it.

She sat next to him. John held out his hand wanting his precious lighter back.

"I'll give it back, don't worry," she said.

John put his hand down and he kept quiet which bothered Rogue.

"What's up with you? You seem..."

He turned his head waiting for Rogue to share her concerns.

"Out of it."

' _Hello, you still have my lighter_ ,' John laughed to himself. "Am I going to have to fight you for that back?"

Rogue smiled. She opened his lighter and ignited it, "So why were you staring into the flames like it's a crystal ball?"

He grinned slightly, "I thought maybe I would be able to see my future."

"Seriously, John."

John laughed, "Am I ever serious?

Rogue sighed. She closed the lighter and glared at him.

"Okay, okay, seriously...I was just thinking about a dream I had and I just spaced out. I'm just confused by it since it didn't make sense at _all_."

"The main point is, it wasn't real."

' _It felt real, but more importantly...why were you in it? And why the hell would I dream about losing my gift! Ha, like that could ever happen!_ ' John smiled, "I'm worrying over nothing... thanks, Rogue."

Rogue smiled, "Glad I could help."

' _God I love it when she smiles...oh crap I'm staring at her. Did she notice? Change the subject fast you moron_! "Oh, and Bobby is mini-me now so if he starts acting weird that's why. Well, he's always weird but if he's weirder than usual... heads up"

"When did this come up?"

"During breakfast. I think it was the cheerios. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I think you're the weird one."

"It's about time someone noticed," John nudged her with his elbow.

Rogue stood up and started heading back to the mansion. "John remember, it's just a dream. Don't stress over it."

"Umm Rogue..."

She turned around, "Yeah?"

"You still have my lighter."

"Ha, and to think you wouldn't notice."

John raised an eyebrow, "I may be weird, but that's just crazy!"


	4. Safe Haven

**What the hell?**

**Ch. 4**

**Safe Haven**

While John watched Rogue walk away, he thought, _'I'm not weird, just crazy for you.'_

He glanced at the lighter in his hand and smirked, "Like I wouldn't notice". John got off the bench and gripped his lighter tight before he sauntered back towards the mansion.

As John walked through the halls he heard clicking. The clicks weren't from him. Click-click-click _'God damn that is annoying,'_ John thought, as he was trying to find out who and where it was coming from. He followed the sound to the game room, which inhabited Rogue, Jubilee, Kitty, Piotr, and a few other students. Bobby stood in the middle of the room. John watched from afar as he was leaning on the door frame. He couldn't help but grin.

Bobby had one of John's spare silver lighters in his hand.

 _'He's doing a pretty good job,'_ John noted.

Watching his roommate flick the lighter was priceless. No one noticed the pyromaniac. ' _What better way to make your entrance by doing what you do best_... _showing off.'_

Bobby ignited the lighter. John decided that this was the perfect opportunity to interrupt. He commanded the flames to come to his hand. As everyone in the room turned around John grinned as he made his way to the center of the room, "The one _little_ thing you can't mimic me on."

"So what did you think, John?" Bobby asked.

He patted Bobby on the shoulder, "You might want to stick to being yourself."

John left the game room smug... what was the fun of telling the truth even if Bobby hit his personality and habits exactly on the head.

Bobby turned around to the audience, "Was I that bad?"

Rogue ran out of the room to catch up to John. "Hey, John wait up! What are you doing later tonight?"

"Nothing," he replied.

"Good, don't make plans because you are busy as of now."

"Wha-" John didn't get to finish his sentence because Rogue was gone in a flash. Leaving him there to ponder.

It was 10 o'clock at night and yes, John was still pondering. It bugged him practically all day.

He was in his room alone sitting on the bed slowly rolling his shark lighter through each finger and then Rogue barged in.

"Don't you knock?" John asked, hinting at a certain incident.

"What's the point? It's not like I haven't seen something that I shouldn't have already."

Hook, line, and sinker... she took the bait. John grinned, "That's what happens when you don't knock."

Rogue crossed her arms, "When I came in that day you didn't complain or try to cover up. You stood there with your arms spread out asking if I liked what I saw!"

John jumped off the bed, "I knew it! You did like it. How come you didn't say anything when I asked that day?"

She didn't answer. She didn't want him to get excited but she damn well knew he was probably excited already.

Rogue grabbed his hand and pulled him to follow her.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

She smiled, "You will see soon enough."

Rogue was pulling John through every corner. Left, right, left, right... it seemed like a maze.

"Are we lost?" John asked.

Rogue grinned and rolled her eyes.

"Maybe we should ask for directions," John joked.

Rogue laughed.

"Why don't girls like asking for directions?" he asked, sarcastically.

Rogue punched him, "Shut up, John"

"Why do girls like punching me? Do I have 'punch bag' written on my forehead?"

"Maybe because you're an ass."

John stopped dead in his tracks. He was pretending to be surprised. "I'm an ass?"

Rogue was about to punch him again but this time John was ready and grabbed her arm before she hit him.

"You didn't get me that time so now you have to kiss me."

She wasn't surprised by his request. In fact, she was waiting for him to come out and make a move. He kept to himself a lot but she liked that about him. He was sort of mysterious in a way, which made Rogue wonder who the real John Allerdyce is.

John let go of her arm as she fully turned to him. She raised her hands halfway and his fingers intertwined with hers. The kiss was priceless. When they released she was starring at him. Rogue was speechless.

"So, umm where were we going?"

"Oh right," she grabbed his arm again. "It's just around the corner."

He gave her a look.

She gave him a half-smile, "I promise... besides you need a good walk anyway."

John cocked his head, "What are you saying?"

Rogue grinned, "I think you know."

He snorted, "I'm as skinny as can be! And you say I'm the ass!"

"That's because you are."

John gave up, "No matter what... I'm not going to win am I?"

Rogue shook her head.

"Are we there yet?" John asked again. It was about the fifth time he asked but who's counting?

"Now we are," She said, pointing to a ladder.

"Where does that lead to?"

"The roof. I like to come here to be alone. No one else knows about it except for me, and now you."

"How did you find it?"

"I don't remember. I've been coming here for a while to clear my head... well I try too. You talk a lot in my head more than anyone else in there!" She poked his chest, "More than _you_ do."

John shrugged, "It seems whenever I talk people always want to kill me."

"That's because you're an ass! But I like ya anyway."

"What's with the name-calling? I already know I'm an asshole!"

She shrugged and sighed, moving aside so he could climb first. "Asses go first", she announced, grinning.

Rogue shrugged, "What? Was it something I said?" She could be an ass too.

The sky was clear and filled with stars. The moon was full and bright as ever. Rogue was the first to sit down on the roof. John sat after.

"Excellent view," John remarked.

There was a light breeze. A strand of Rogue's hair was in her face. John moved it out of the way as he gently touched the side of her face. John was so deep with passion; Rogue had never ever seen this side of him. This was the John Allerdyce she was waiting for.

She leaned in closer and kissed him. When they took a breather, John lay down on the roof. Rogue went on top, straddling him. She smiled, "Are you ready for more?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

They were on the roof for about two hours making out and talking about random things.

Eventually, John drifted off to sleep. Rogue had her arm over his stomach, and her head was lying on his chest. Her arm rose and fell with his each breath. She liked listening to his relaxed and steady heartbeat.

He was dreaming again.


	5. Dreaming Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics – John's dream

**What The Hell?**

**Ch. 5**

**Dreaming again**

John was in such a deep sleep, a bomb could go off and he wouldn't hear a thing.

He was dreaming again...

_The sky was red, once again. The ground was hot therefore, the grass was dead. Brick walls surrounded him. John was separated from everything and everyone. The silence made things even worse. No chirping birds, no noises coming from cars, no insignificant chatter, nothing! If it wasn't the isolation that was torture it was the silence. The silence would cause anyone to commit suicide._

Rogue was glad she shared her safe haven with him. Bobby would have told her it was too dangerous to be on the roof. Logan would think she was trying to hide something. In other words, no one would understand. John, on the other hand, didn't question. He could care less why people did certain things and personally, it wasn't his business. No one likes to be interrogated for their acts or decisions they make.

_John turned around and out of nowhere, there was Rogue standing five feet away from him. He was aware that she was holding something behind her back._

Rogue noticed John's heartbeat became more rapid. She had a gut feeling that something wasn't right. She sat up and shook him, "Get up, John."

_Rogue was slowly approaching him. She grinned as her eyes flashed from brown to yellow._

She shook him again. "John please wake up!"

He shot up and grabbed her wrist tightly.

"John?" Rogue asked softly, "Are you okay?"

He was silent. Rogue couldn't tell if he was in some sort of shock. His eyes were open but he hadn't blinked once since he sat up.

Rogue softly said his name again. After a couple of minutes, John finally broke out of it. He turned to look at her, "I'm fine."

She didn't know what to say. He obviously wasn't. "Great," she paused. "Can you let go of my wrist now?"

He looked at his hand, which was locked tight to her wrist. He let go instantly. "I'm so sorry, Rogue. I didn't mean to grab you like that."

She rubbed the area. "It was an accident, but right now my main concern is you."

"I'll be fine... really. It was just a dream. Nothing to be worried about." John reassured her even though for some reason he was worried about it.

Both were silent, unsure of what to say.

John broke the silence. "We should go back inside... it's going to take us like an hour to get back to our rooms. Now that I think about it... were you lost when you found the ladder to the roof in the first place?"

Rogue placed her hands on her hips, "Do you ever quit?"

John grinned, "I'm not a quitter."

"I'll just ignore you then."

"People try to ignore me but it never works."

"Good to know."

John felt really bad about hurting her. He would never ever intentionally put his hands on a girl like that. "Again, I'm sorry about your wrist. If and when it starts to turn red make sure Wolverine doesn't come after me. He could probably stab me before I'm able to flick my lighter open."

"I'll protect you."

His jaw dropped. "When did I say I needed protection?"

"Wolverine could snap you in two!"

"First you say I'm a little overweight and now you say I'm as skinny as a twig! Make up your mind, woman!"

Rogue couldn't help but laugh. John was ridiculously witty.

He started to babble about how all the girls always bugged him.

"John."

He didn't hear her. Raising her voice a notch, she repeated, "John!"

Nothing changed.

"JOHN!"

He stopped blabbing, "What?"

"Chill out!" she said slowly so he could hear every syllable.

"See that's what I'm talking about!" he exclaimed. "The girls make me bitch about something. Then they don't like it and then they use those two words together that I absolutely hate!"

"That's the point, John."

He laughed, "It's not that simple."

They finally reached her room.

"John, trust me." She opened the door to her room, "Girls talk a lot, so... yes, it is that simple."

She shut the door unable to see his expression. She pictured him with a slight grin. He was turning it into some conspiracy when it wasn't even close. And yes, it was as simple as that.

Everything made sense now and he felt like an idiot. John grinned all the way to his room. Bobby was sound asleep, snoring as usual. John was practically up all night staring at the ceiling. He felt like those yellow eyes were watching him.

Was he just being paranoid or was this feeling accurate?


	6. Reality

**What the Hell?**

**Ch. 6**

**Reality**

It was seven in the morning. John tossed and turned all night, managing to get in two hours at the most. He rolled out of bed and felt like a zombie unable to tell if he was still sleeping or awake.

The pyromaniac managed to get to the bathroom in one piece. As he looked at himself in the mirror, he noted that he was awake and that he looked like hell... maybe worse than hell.

"Dude, you look like shit," Bobby yelled across the bathroom.

John looked at his reflection again and yelled back, "I was going for hell, but shit seems right."

Given John's appearance that would lead to Bobby's intrusive question...

"What the hell did you and Rogue do to each other last night?"

He changed the subject. It wasn't any of Bobby's business or anyone else for that matter, "What the hell are you still doing in here, Bobby? You're probably worse than the girls."

The other guys in the bathroom laughed.

Bobby smirked, "Changing the subject are we?"

"There is nothing to tell, besides the fact that you've probably been in here for over an hour."

"Not even... it's only been around 45 minutes."

"I rest my case."

John was about to leave the bathroom, but before he did he turned around to tell Bobby one more thing, "When you see Rogue...do me a favor and ice her wrist for me."

"Looks like someone was rough last night," Bobby remarked to Piotr since he was standing next to him.

John peaked back in, "I heard that Vanilla-Ice" and left again to go back to his room to get dressed. He was crouched looking for Jeans that were in the last drawer. Every now and then he would look over his shoulder to check to see if someone was behind him. Hence, he still felt like he was being watched.

John stood up and walked to the window. No one was outside. " _Why am I being so fucking paranoid? God, I'm driving myself crazy!_ " John took a deep breath and continued getting dressed.

He made it down the stairs without any interruptions. His hand had just touched the knob when...

"Aren't you going to have breakfast?" asked Jubilee.

"Fuck breakfast... I'm going out."

"Someone got off the wrong side of the bed."

"Yeah, I did... I don't know why I even bothered to get out." John sighed as he shut the door and left the mansion.

Casually walking the grounds, once in a while John would set something on fire. It always made him feel better, that was his preferred remedy. You know when you have homemade chicken soup when you're sick, it's the same thing really.

He stopped and sat down on the same bench as last time. He sat there trying to relax his nerves and mind.

John heard footsteps. He didn't look behind him as he flicked the lighter open 'click'...

"Hey, John."

'click' John closed the cap and placed the lighter in his pocket, "Rogue, that's the second time you snuck up on me. The exact same place too."

"Some habits will never be broken," she said, taking a seat next to him.

John grinned at her statement, "How's your wrist?"

"It a little sore, but it's not red or anything. Bobby iced it for me just like you asked."

"Good."

"Are you okay? You look like crap."

"I'm fine but I didn't sleep well last night. I would have slept better with you next to me."

She giggled, "Oh yeah, I bet," she leaned over and kissed him. "Good morning"

"All of my mornings should start like that... I feel better already"

"Well, I'm going to go back inside. Are you coming?" She asked, outstretching her arm.

He shook his head, "No, not now, I need some fresh air... I'll see you later."

"Okay, see you later."

* * *

Five minutes later Rogue came back.

John rubbed his tired eyes, "Man, I really need to get a good night's sleep! I thought you were going inside?"

"I changed my mind," she said simply.

"I knew you couldn't resist me." He grinned.

She was fast as she stabbed John's arm with a needle.

"Ow! What the hell, Rogue?"

He noticed Rogue's eyes flashed from brown to yellow before everything went black.

"Sleep tight...you'll need it," she whispered.

John drifted into unconsciousness into Mystique's arms as she morphed into her true form.


	7. Lab Rat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Few hours later)

**What the Hell?**

**Ch. 7**

**Lab Rat**

"Has anyone seen John?" Rogue asked that same question to everyone in the mansion and the responses were all the same: no.

She ended up in the kitchen annoyed and frustrated, plopping down in a chair across from Logan.

Logan snorted. "Sounds like deja vu all over again."

Rogue rolled her eyes at him. This wasn't a joke. She knew deep down something wasn't right. When Bobby entered, she asked, "Have you seen John?"

"Not since this morning. He looked like hell," Bobby replied while getting a tub of ice cream. If you touched his ice cream and he found out... it wasn't a pretty sight. John did it often, on purpose. Sometimes he would take it out of the freezer and let it sit on the counter to melt, and other times he would purposely put nuts into the container because he knew Bobby was allergic. He would place them on top of the ice cream where they would be spotted right away. It's not like he wanted to kill the snowman. Once John placed one nut on top and put the container back in the freezer. When he went back to his room he started laughing. Bobby knew right away something was up, "What did you do to my ice cream, Dyce?" After that John was hysterical and Bobby ran down the stairs like a speeding bullet. Even with one nut, Bobby would toss the container in the trash. It was amusing to watch him bitch. Bobby would 'yell' and John would grin flicking his lighter letting everything his roommate said go in one ear and out the other.

"He had another dream yesterday... he didn't talk about it. I woke him up during it and that's when he grabbed my arm."

Logan's expression changed.

Rogue pointed her index finger at him, "Don't do _anything_ , Logan! It was entirely an accident." She paused remembering John's expression after he woke up from his dream, "You should have seen him. He was pretty freaked out. I saw him today, but that was a few hours ago."

"Maybe he went back with Magneto," Bobby said in a neutral tone, looking for a spoon.

She snapped, "He wouldn't do that to us again, Bobby. Not to me at least!" Rogue paused to stop herself from doing something she'd regret. She stood up from her chair and went to the window to stare outside. Before she continued, she took a deep breath and let out an annoyed sigh, "You know something's out of the ordinary if you don't hear that damn lighter at least once every half hour... every hour at the most."

* * *

John was still unconscious from the injection Mystique had given him. He lay on a metal table, hands and legs bound to it. The room was basically empty besides the machines he was hooked up to. The machines started to beep more rapidly as John was coming out of his unconscious state. Blinking a few times to clear his vision, he immediately turned his head to the side to see where that annoying noise was coming from. John groaned at the vital monitor and looked back up at the ceiling. Feeling well enough to sit up, he tried using his hand to prop himself up, but it wouldn't budge. "What the f-"

"Welcome back, Pyro."

The firebug recognized the voice, but that only added tension. He turned his head to the right. His former leader had a big grin plastered on his face. John turned away to stare back at the ceiling. Magneto was the last person he wanted to see. "Please tell me I'm dreaming."

"No, as a matter of fact ... this is very real."

John's day was getting worse by the minute. "Why am I here? What do you want?" he asked, irritated.

Magneto walked closer to his bound guest. "I told you there would be hell to pay if you left."

"I left three years ago... why now?"

"Excellent question, Pyro."

Mystique walked into the room holding venipuncture essentials and another syringe.

John tugged on the restraints, "I bet I wasn't being paranoid... you were watching me weren't you, Mystique?"

She grinned.

"I'll take that as a yes." He stopped tugging at the bounds because it was getting him nowhere.

Mystique handed Magneto the syringe and then he held it up for Pyro to see. "This is why."

Smartasses never resist the urge to crack a joke. John grinned, "I already took my booster shot this year. Can I go now?"

Mystique disinfected near John's cubital fossa (aka elbow pit). "Make a fist," she ordered. He refused. "Do it!" After a few heartbeats, he reluctantly complied due to a lack of options. She used a butterfly needle to pierce his skin into a vein. The blood flowed through thin tubing into a vial. Once it was full, she removed it, placed it to the side and took another one to fill. The shapeshifter had four vials of his blood before removing the winged infusion tool.

Magneto glared. "No. You'll be with us for a while."

"It was worth a... _shot_." Pyro was still grinning. He was starting to get on Magneto's nerves and each moment was priceless.

His past allies meant business and Pyro's smart mouth would have to be ignored as Magneto went on with the main objective... his latest plan. "This, my boy, is one of a kind," he said, marveling at the syringe.

Pyro's smirk vanished. "I don't want it," he said, now serious. This wasn't a game. The Master of Magnetism doesn't play games when it comes to mutant superiority.

"You don't have a choice." Without further hesitation, Magneto jammed the syringe into Pyro's upper arm.

John winced. "God damn it. That hurts!"

"I thought you were tougher than that," mocked Magneto.

"Well," John paused and glared, "If I wasn't strapped down to the table like a mental patient, things would be different."

Magneto gave his former advocate a patronizing short laugh, and said, "I highly doubt that... _Pyro_."

John noticed the change in the older man's voice when he said his code-name. It was odd and definitely on purpose.

"Mystique and I will be back later. We need to let the serum do its work."

"Can I at least get a television set in here?" John asked.

"No," Magneto replied over his shoulder before leaving the room.

John yelled, "Well, what am I supposed to do? Just lay here and twiddle my thumbs?" He paused for a second, "Shit! I can't even do that!" ' _I hope you heard that... leaving me here to be bored to death, asshole_.'

* * *

"Where's the Professor?" Rogue asked.

"Out," replied Logan.

She was getting impatient. "Don't tell me we are just going to sit here and wait!"

To her disappointment, that's exactly what they were going to do. Time wasn't a thing to waste.

Rogue left the kitchen and went upstairs to wait for him. She knew John wouldn't betray her like that again. He just couldn't! Could he?

* * *

Pyro was left alone for over an hour and he didn't feel any different. However, the second hour was a different story. He definitely didn't feel the same as he did earlier.

Magneto and Mystique came back a little under three hours.

"How are you doing, _Pyro_?" Magneto asked using the same tone when he said John's codename.

"Fuck off!" John snapped.

"That bad?" Magneto shrugged. "Well, I guess there are a few side effects." He released Pyro's hands and feet using his power. Pyro sat himself up to death staring Magneto as he swung his legs over the side.

"I'm sure you're wondering what I did to you, and I'll be more than happy to tell you." Magneto paused for a few seconds to let Pyro's thoughts wander. "The serum I gave you took away your mutant 'gift'," he said bluntly.

Pyro was silent.

"Therefore, you no longer have the ability to manipulate fire." He showed no remorse for what he was telling Pyro. Frankly, he was enjoying every moment.

He laughed sarcastically. "Bullshit!"

"Not that you will need this anymore, but I believe this is yours," Magneto smiled as he handed the shark lighter to John. He flicked it open, started the flame and concentrated on the flames willing them to extinguish. Magneto could see the frustration and defeat on the young man's face. The Master of Magnetism was grinning even more now... his concoction had worked and he had proof.

John tried a few more times before giving up. He pocketed his lighter and once again glared at Magneto.

"It's genius really," he gloated. "It took me three years to complete it and you were my first lab rat, _congratulations_." Magneto mocked.

John was angry...really angry. He made a fist as he made eye contact with Magneto. He spoke slowly, emphasizing every word so there would be no misinterpretation, "You. Are. Going. To. Pay."

Magneto laughed in his face, "What are _you_ going to do?"

He was silent. All he knew was Magneto would pay one day and that's all that would matter.

"Mystique, throw this human out," Magneto ordered.

Pyro slid off the metal table and gritted his teeth. "I'll throw myself out." As he marched to the door, he heard, "It was nice seeing you again, John" and immediately stopped short. His ex-mentor would not get the last word! Pyro turned around only to see Mystique and Magneto with big white smiles. He turned around again so that his back was facing them. John flipped the birdie before the door shut behind him. It wasn't the best come-back because clearly Magneto won overall, but he was granted with the last gesture.

As soon as John got outside he knew his whereabouts. It took him over an hour making his way back to the mansion. He felt worse than he did before. John's breathing was heavy. In addition, he was also very pale and extremely tired. Just barely making it home, he leaned on the front door for support and fumbled for the knob.

The door was opened from the inside. Using the door frame to maintain balance, he built up enough strength to stand on his own to avoid hurting someone.

"John!" exclaimed Rogue.

He flashed her a half-smile before passing out in the threshold.


	8. Broken

**What the Hell?**

**Chapter 8**

**Broken**

With Rogue sitting by his side, John slept. He looked so peaceful laying in the bed. So still, so calm… so quiet. It was freaking her out. The only thing keeping her from going nuts was the John in her head. In her hand, she held his lighter. Just holding it and staring at it. He loved that thing so much. Most people didn't understand. Hell, even she didn't, but it meant something to him and that was that.

She glanced over at her boyfriend. No change. Then she glanced back at the object in her hand, flicked it open and then ignited it. Her gaze was focused on the untouchable element and only that. When John started to move, she instantly closed the cap.

"John?" She spoke softly.

He shot up in the bed. "Where am I?"

"Relax. You're in the mansion's infirmary." Her tone remained calm and soothing.

"Prove to me that you're you."

"What?"

"That bitch won't fool me again," he muttered.

Rogue was confused but he wanted proof so that's what she gave him. "When I need space… I go to the roof."

With just that information, John relaxed and lay back down. "Can I have my lighter?"

"But, John…"

"Just give it to me!" he snapped and then sighed adding, "Please."

She didn't ask any further questions as she handed him the lighter.

Flicking it open, lighting it, he tried to increase the flames but nothing happened. In frustration, he closed the cap harshly and squeezed the lighter tight causing his knuckles to turn white. "I can't believe this. I really fucking can't!"

"Please tell me what's wrong. What happened to you?" she urged.

Slowly, John turned his head to the right to look at her. There was anger in his eyes as he faked a laugh. "Long story short," he paused, "I'm human."

Rogue remained silent to let him continue uninterrupted.

"Mystique pretended to be you, drugged me, and brought me to Magneto. They took my blood and then they injected me with something. It seems to have neutralized my x-gene or..." he trailed off, "removed it." John sarcastically laughed to himself. "That's right. Magneto knew the right thing to take away from me to piss me off and he did it successfully."

"This is probably temporary," she said, offering some optimism.

"Magneto's plans are never temporary. I don't even think he knows the word 'temporary'. For example, the Liberty Island plan wasn't going to be temporary especially and most importantly for you." He touched the white streak in her hair that shaped her face so perfectly.

Rogue understood his point. She didn't know what to say. It was undeniable that what he said was accurate but a little positivity never hurt anyone. "John, we can fix this. I'm sure the Professor will think of something. Was the serum just for you or is there more to it?"

"He said ' _You're my first lab rat_ '. I'm guessing I'm not, but I'm really not sure." John rubbed his eyes. "How long was I out?"

"Around forty-eight hours."

"I know you're wondering… and I wish I could say it feels like I've been shot, but it doesn't. I feel like I'm dead."

"Jo-"

"Where are my clothes?" He asked as he stared at the door unable to look at her. He didn't want her pity nor want reassurance. He just wanted to be left alone.

She didn't answer.

"Fine, I'll look for them myself." He tossed the covers aside and swung his legs over the side and motioned to get up.

"John, just stay put. I have your clothes right here." She took them out of the drawer behind her.

"Give them to me."

"I will but you have to promise to not leave this room."

John sighed. "Are you serious?" he complained.

"The Professor just wants to talk to you."

"Just tell him what I told you."

"Do it for me. Okay?" She pleaded.

"Fine." John held out his hand and she gave him his clothes.

"How are you doing?" She asked as he was done getting dressed.

John gave her a look.

She averted her eyes. "Stupid question, sorry." Then she stood up, gazing directly at him. "No, actually it wasn't. How do you physically feel? You were dehydrated with a fever of one hundred and four." She reached out to hold his head in her hands. When they were face to face, she said, "I care about you. Don't shut me out!"

He didn't respond. She released her hold and sat at the foot of his bed.

The room became silent besides the ticking of the clock, which didn't sit too well with John. "I hate this room. It's so fucking white… scratch that… it's nothing but white."

"Look, I know you're angry bu-"

John cut her off and stared at the door again, "You have no idea what's going through my head right now. You have no idea how I feel. You know nothing."


	9. Survival of the Fittest

**What The Hell?**

**Ch. 9**

**Survival of the Fittest**

And then there was silence.

John regretted what he said to her, but he wasn't going to apologize either. She didn't understand. The one and _only_ _one_ thing that made him special was taken away without his permission.

Ten extremely _long_ silent minutes felt like hours to him as the Professor finally entered the room.

"John, would you like Rogue to leave the room?" Xavier asked.

"She can stay."

"I need you to tell me what occurred before you passed out. What do you remember? Know?"

John repeated to the Professor what he told Rogue earlier.

"I'll need to run some tests first and then we will take it from there. The results won't be available for two hours."

John frowned at the sight of more needles. He was quiet during the procedures trying hard not to think of the hell he'd been through.

"Are you okay?" Rogue asked but he didn't hear her. Memories came rushing back and that's when he gave in. "I can't do this!" John yelled, hastily exiting the bed and stormed out of the room.

"In time, he will be fine, Rogue. Just give him some space. We will figure this out."

"I'm just really worried about him."

* * *

John made it to his room unnoticed. He sat on the side of his bed, elbows placed on his legs, and his face buried in his hands. Eventually, he lowered his hands to look over at the mirror. He got to his feet, walked over to it and didn't like what he saw—a 'John Doe'.

Becoming disgusted with his reflection, he abruptly turned away. He stopped in the middle of the room, reached into his pocket and took out his shark lighter. With his back still facing the mirror, he glanced at the lighter in his palm, gripped it tight, turned around, pulled his arm back and threw it as hard as he could at the mirror. The mirror shattered into many pieces. John hurried to the door and locked it, knowing nosy mutants would come barging in without knocking.

He was right. In less than three minutes the knob was tried first, then came the knocking. "Are you alright?"

"Go away," John said as calm as can be.

"Are you sure?"

"Go away." He repeated using the same tone.

Finally, Jamie got the hint and left.

John picked up a piece of glass. He wanted to cut himself… to see if he could still feel. He placed the sharpest tip on his forearm. He stared at the glass, at his arm, but he couldn't pierce the skin. He shook his head and dropped the glass from his grip. "What the hell am I doing?"

John left the room and his lighter on the floor in the middle of the glass where it landed.

He practically ran to get out of the mansion. It felt good to be outside, the slight breeze running through his hair, the warmth from the sun on his skin, and the clear sky as blue as the ocean. It was so peaceful and quiet until John heard something fall out of the tree to his right. John walked over to the tall tree and saw a baby robin in the grass. He knew it was a robin because its belly had patches of red. He stood over it. crossed his arms, and said, "I can't just leave you there… Rogue would kill me." He crouched down and scooped up the robin. For the first time since he found out, he couldn't manipulate fire the tiny bird actually made John smile. "I guess you were trying to fly," he said to the bird. "And as we both know… you didn't do very well."

He took a seat at a nearby bench with the robin in his palm. "You look a little scrawny. Your brothers and sisters didn't want to share, huh?" He paused a moment before adding, "Neither did mine."

John grabbed an earthworm before it dug into the ground and held it up near the robin. "You look old enough to eat this on your own. Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm not regurgitating this!"

The robin opened its mouth and John lowered the worm into its mouth. In a flash, the worm was gone and the robin's mouth was open once again. John shrugged. "I don't have anymore." Then it closed its mouth. "What should I name you? I could call you Robin, but that's not very original. How about…Rob?" John laughed. "I'm not very good at this." The bird just stared at him. "I'll just call you Robin then. Since I'm not sure if you're a female or male so … Robin it is. However, the real question is… what am I going to do with you?"

The young bird yawned and shut its eyes. "I'll figure that out later, I guess." He said softly. John peacefully sat outside with the robin sleeping in his palm.

30 minutes later…

' _John, I need to speak to you. Please meet me in my office_.'

He completely forgot about his dilemma… until now. John sauntered into the mansion with Robin in his hand. Once he reached The Professor's office he knocked and let himself in.

"Have a seat," Professor Xavier said.

"No, thanks. I prefer to stand."

"Who is your new friend?"

John sighed. He didn't have the patience for small talk especially since he knew why Xavier wanted to speak to him. "Robin. It fell out of a tree." He shifted his weight. "Didn't you say you wanted to tell me something?"

"I went over the results and the only person that can undo what was done is Erik. Either that or we'll have to get his files. John, we will resolve this. The X-Men and I need time to figure out where Erik is and how to go about this in a stealth way."

John wasn't surprised. He knew it would take more than some simple tests to either find out what Magneto did or fix it. John showed no emotion nor replied as he handed Professor X the robin and took off.

When John entered his room Rogue was sitting on his bed with the lighter in her hand looking at him and then the glass.

"It slipped." He replied as he took the lighter from her. John grabbed his brown leather jacket from the chair it was hanging over and slipped it on. "Well, it looks like I won't be needing this anymore," he said, dropping the lighter in the garbage can before exiting the bedroom.


	10. Hollow

**What The Hell?**

**Ch. 10**

**Hollow**

John ended up at a small bar called Red Horizon. The bar was fairly dark and basically empty besides a few people drinking, two waitresses, and a bartender. He went to the back of Red Horizon and sat in the last stool, ordering beer after beer. John had just finished his fifth. Before he ordered another, he stared into the empty bottle, which reflected his current state of mind. He put the empty bottle down and started on his sixth when a familiar figure sat next to him. He didn't have to look directly at the person, noticing the white streak in the corner of his eye.

"Go away, Rogue. I don't want you here," he said bitterly.

"That's too bad because I'm not leaving without you."

He sighed. "Just... leave me alone."

"John, I'm worried about you. Talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Bullshit!" she spat.

John slammed the bottle on the counter. He turned to her and snapped, "Just go home!"

"Is he bothering you, hun?" The bartender asked. His eyes were on Rogue and only her.

John rolled his eyes. "Actually, she's bothering _me_."

"How many beers has he had so far?" Rogue asked ignoring her boyfriend.

"He's on his sixth." Replied the bartender, still eyeing her while drying glasses.

"Don't give him any more," she instructed.

John's temper started to rise. Once again he was _invisible_. "Are you going to listen to a mutant?" He retorted, unable to control the words coming out of his mouth.

In an instant, the bartender's face changed to disgust. He was about to grab Rogue's arm.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" John placed the half-empty bottle on the counter and stood up. He cautiously eyed the bartender considering the fact that he might ignore his warning and lay a finger on her. He didn't care about the bartender getting hurt; he only cared about Rogue. John didn't want her to ever get hurt, but to get hurt because of him… that was unacceptable.

"Both of you," the bartender pointed to the door, "Get out of my bar."

John didn't protest. He walked behind Rogue out of the establishment and into the pouring rain.

Without saying a word, John and Rogue stood in front of Red Horizon. The rain came down hard and steady. He lowered his head and turned to Rogue, "I'm sorry." His tone was sincere. He looked up and moved closer and gently kissed her wet forehead.

She wrapped her arms around him and held on as tight as she could, "If you bottle your anger, it will kill you."

"I know." John ran a hand through his wet hair. "There is something I need to do… _alone_." He softly smiled and said, "It's late, go back to the mansion. We can talk tomorrow."

Rogue looked at John unsure if she should leave him alone. He definitely wasn't sober.

He gently rubbed her shoulders. "I'll be fine. Don't worry so much. How did you find me?"

She was about to reply, but he waved her off. "Never mind. It doesn't matter." Quickly changing the subject, he said, "Do you have a ride or are you going to walk in the rain?"

"I borrowed Scott's motorcycle." She pointed to the right, glanced at it and looked back at John.

Surprised, he asked, "You know how to drive one of those?"

"Logan taught me." Rogue smiled. She enjoyed the _little_ things Logan taught her. "I would offer you a ride but you're not sober. Maybe next time, bub."

John grinned for two reasons. The obvious Logan-ism and the last time someone said 'maybe next time' was Logan when John stated he wanted to drive when the mansion was raided. "I'm starting to wonder if Wolverine is secretly brainwashing you."

Rogue had a big smile on her face. She really missed John's sense of humor. She automatically gave him a hug and whispered in his ear, "I love you".

Not allowing him to reply, Rogue released her firm hold and hopped onto the bike.

She revved the motorcycle and flipped the kickstand. With the black helmet on, she glanced at John. He stood in awe as his jaw dropped. It was a drool-worthy sight. In a blink, she disappeared into the darkness.

John almost decided to just go home and push his anger and hatred aside, but what he was about to do next was something that had to be done tonight.

The rain had ceased, John stood outside the building that made his nightmare come to life. He was holding a container of lighter fluid. Earlier he paid someone to buy it for him. The last thing he needed was his face on surveillance tape in the convenience store purchasing the flammable liquid. John entered the abandoned building and squirted fluid throughout. Nothing was left, but unwanted memories, thanks to Magneto. The building had to go. He tossed the empty yellow and red bottle over his shoulder, took a deep breath before striking the match and dropped it into a puddle of fluid.

Watching the fire consume the building made him feel better, however, it wouldn't solve the lingering emptiness in his soul. John would have watched it burn completely to the ground but soon New York City's Bravest would be at the scene putting out the flames and coming to the conclusion that it was arson. Getting caught wasn't an option. "This isn't over," John declared out loud before he left.

It was three-thirty in the morning when John got back to the mansion. Before he went inside, Mother Nature was calling. He unzipped his pants and took a quick leak in the bushes that start on either side of the front door and go around the entire mansion. John always thought they looked hideous. He burned a couple of them five years ago when he was sixteen. Still to this day, he hadn't verbally confessed. Xavier made him plant new ones, trim, and water all of the bushes for six weeks.

Maybe it was the alcohol but as he was walking through the mansion, he thought ' _What if by some chance the bushes turn yellow because of my urine..._ ' Yeah, it was definitely the alcohol.

Without disturbing anyone or anything, he eventually made it to his room. Bobby was sound asleep, snoring. Normally he would throw his sneaker to make his roommate turn over, thus, stop the snoring, but all he wanted to do was crash. As soon as John's damp body hit the mattress, he was out like a light.


	11. Don't Ignore the Signs

**What The Hell?**

**CH. 11**

**Don't Ignore The Signs**

Robin slept in a Nike shoebox on top of John's nightstand that was against the wall in the middle of the room between the two beds. It was five in the morning when Robin went off just like an alarm clock. Those two things share a couple of things in common: both can be loud, make noise, and wake you up at the crack of dawn. However, one you can shut off by flipping a switch or throwing it against a wall, but the other wouldn't be that simple; it wanted something specific besides waking you up. Throwing it wasn't an option.

John and Bobby woke up immediately. When John sat up it felt like there were daggers in his head, thus, he lay back down. "Jesus! Not so loud! What does it want?" whined John through gritted teeth. He squirmed in his bed from the pain and tried to block Robin's cries with a pillow.

"I don't know! It's your bird," replied Bobby annoyed, also covering his ears.

"My head is killing me!"

"It's probably hungry." Bobby sighed. "I have sour gummy worms."

"Don't feed it those," John bellowed. "Make it stop!" he pleaded desperately.

Bobby rolled his eyes. "You owe me." He threw on a royal blue t-shirt and decided to go outside in his boxers.

"Hurry!" yelled John before Bobby closed the door.

* * *

When Bobby exited the mansion and rounded the corner he made a face, "Is that urine I smell?" With nothing to gain from finding out the answer, Bobby continued to his destination—Storm's garden.

He watered the dirt, dozing off every so often. He stood in the garden forgetting why he was there in the first place, but that's understandable considering it was five-thirty in the morning, and most people aren't coherent at that time… especially when it's not planned. Bobby created a puddle, which didn't help. He didn't want to drown the worms; he just needed to draw them out. When Bobby noticed he was making a puddle he shut off the water and played the _waiting game_. As he waited, he was thinking to himself: if he were a worm would he rather drown, get fried by the sun, or be eaten?

* * *

"Robin, please stop! You're going to make my head explode!"

It stopped for a moment, but then it was reminded by a rumble. The little bird took a deep breath and belted out all over again.

John couldn't take it anymore. He shut the lid to the Nike box, assuming Robin would instantly go to sleep if it was surrounded by darkness; however, Robin wasn't your average bird.

Robin jumped with enough force to flip the lid open. John could have sworn Robin gave him an 'evil eye'. He scooped up the small bird, held it in his palm and spoke softly, "Bobby will be back shortly. I know this because he would like to go back to sleep, as would I."

When Bobby entered the room, he didn't look very happy. Three worms were squirming in his hand, his sneakers were muddy, and John didn't manage to give him a title.

"What's your problem?" John didn't care but asked anyway.

"No Uncle?"

He raised a brow. "You and I aren't brothers."

With the worms still in his fist, Bobby folded his arms over his chest. "I just went outside in my boxers. That doesn't earn me a damn title?"

"Alright! You can have 'rambling lunatic' for crying out loud." Robin started up again. "What the fuck are you waiting for, Bobby?"

"I don't think Robin is old enough to eat the worms like this… I think they need to be regurgitated." Bobby glared at John. "Whatever you're thinking… stop. I'm not a fucking bird! Besides, Robin is not even my responsibility, but I still deserve a real title."

John grinned, he wasn't thinking that but the thought of Bobby regurgitating a worm was amusing. "When I first found it, I fed it a non-regurgitated worm, so it's old enough." John pointed his index finger at his friend, and said, "Be careful of what you say… you don't want to put ideas in my head."

Bobby took a step closer to John to hand him the worms. "You smell like ass, Dyce. Your odor probably woke Robin in the first place."

He ignored the comment. "The worms are kind of soggy."

"They'll slide down Robin's throat better this way. Beggars can't be choosers."

John snorted. "This one can."

Bobby went into the bathroom to wash his hands. When he came back, he went straight to his bed to lie down and hopefully get at least four more hours of sleep. "What are the chances of you finding a bird, better yet… a bird with an attitude?"

"I like this one. It's special."

"Dude, you can't keep on referring to the bird as 'it', so is it a boy or girl?"

John looked down at Robin and then glanced at Bobby before he asked the living creature in his palm the question of the day, "Robin, are you a boy?"

Bobby laughed. John ignored him, asking it the opposite, "Robin, are you a girl?"

Robin squeaked and John said, "I told you _she's_ special."

Bobby sat up in his bed. "That doesn't mean anything!" he argued.

"Go ahead and ask her yourself." John was serious. "I'm telling you, she's not your ordinary Robin."

Bobby asked the bird a few times. Every time he asked her if she was a girl she would squeak. "If she's so special… she'd be able to talk."

John placed Robin back in the Nike box. "All in due time, my x-polar opposite." He rolled over in his bed to face the wall and was able to fall asleep without having to count any sheep.

* * *

_Dark, damp, and chilly. Four walls but no windows or doors. The lone soul sits in the corner on the cold floor hugging his knees. The only sound he hears is the rapid beating of his own heart._

Quietly sitting in the Nike box, Robin inquisitively studied a daddy-long-legs spider crawling on the edge of her enclosure.

_A spark hits the floor like a raindrop and a line of fire is created. The fire quickly rises and almost touches the ceiling. The flames race toward the other side of the room. With nowhere to go, the man squeezes his eyes shut, holds up his arms to protect his face and accepts his fate._

"NO!" John sprung up in his bed. After a minute, he looked over to discover he was by himself. With his sleeve, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and checked the time—one in the afternoon. He stretched and swung his feet over the side of the bed. All it took was one whiff to decide what was next on the agenda. To officially start the day, a shower was mandatory.

* * *

Bobby walked past the kitchen but stopped in his tracks when he noticed a figure in the corner of his eye. He turned around and went into the kitchen to see who it was. Rogue leaned against the kitchen island, drinking coffee while gazing out of the window. Her back was facing him.

"Hi Rogue, did you see John last night?"

She knew who the voice belonged to, but she turned around to acknowledge his presence. "Yeah, he was at a bar; it wasn't a pretty sight." She paused. "He was so _cold_."

He sat in the seat across from her. She circled her finger around the mug's rim, and asked, "Did he talk to you about anything?"

"He was still sleeping when I woke up. He didn't tell me anything at five in the morning when Robin demanded attention. John keeps his thoughts to himself, though. The only time I can figure out what he's thinking is when it's about fire."

"The loss of his gift is bothering him."

"Wouldn't it bother you, especially if it was without your consent?"

"Of course it would, but I don't think his head is in the right place." Rogue set the mug down, looked Bobby directly in his baby blues, and said, "He shouldn't be thinking it's _the end of the world_."

Bobby held his gaze. He agreed, but John was more complicated than most people. He reached out across the table and touched Rogue's gloved hand, "I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."He got up and turned on the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall over the refrigerator.

The two mutants continued their conversation regarding John while the News could be heard in the background. At the sight of earlier footage of a burning building, Bobby turned up the volume as they both listened.

_'Late last night an abandoned building was purposely set on fire. It took firefighters over an hour to contain the blaze and put out the flames.'_

Simultaneously they looked at each other.

"He was drunk," she said, her voice laced with uncertainty. However, Rogue wasn't sure that was the actual reason. It was the only logical explanation she could come up with... unless, it was something deeper?


	12. Uncertainty

**What the Hell?**

**Ch. 12**

**Uncertainty**

John closed his eyes, letting the water hit his face. It was relaxing. All of the built-up tension he had was gone for the time being, but he couldn't stay in there forever. He shut off the water, stepped out, and dried his hair with a towel, leaving it messy. John wrapped the towel around his waist and walked out of the bathroom to get clothes. "Robin, do you think anyone would care if I walked around the mansion nude?" She starred at him blankly. John grinned. "That's exactly the look I'd get with a couple of giggles." In two minutes John was fully dressed. Scooping up Robin, he exited the bedroom.

Stopping in the kitchen for a quick snack, John encountered a dilemma. Feeling slightly uncomfortable leaving Robin on the counter or on the table, he decided to make toast using his unoccupied hand. The only tricky part would be untwisting the twist-tie. After attempt number five, John decided to put Robin down. "Don't move," he ordered. A few seconds later, attempt number six was a success. By force of habit, John put his hand in his pocket looking for his lighter. For a second he forgot; and for a second, he felt foolish. He depended on an inanimate object that fueled his power, a power that defined him. Discouraged, John lost his appetite.

* * *

In the den, John relaxed, sitting in a recliner that was facing the fireplace. Losing himself in the flames, he sat there alone with Robin in his arms. He was alone, that is until Logan walked in.

"Who's the pipsqueak?"

"Robin," John replied with no hesitation. However, he knew what was coming next.

"You're the genius that came up with that name, huh?"

He shrugged. "I've never had a pet before, not that Robin is my pet, but yes, I named her."

Logan grunted in acknowledgment. "So what are you doing in here anyway?"

"Trying to drown _myself_ in self-pity," John said, emphasizing the keyword.

"Well, at least I can finally say there is one human in this world that doesn't hate us."

"That's not funny."

Logan smirked. "Just a little."

"Leave me alone," John said bluntly. "I want to drown alone."

"What about, pipsqueak?"

John waved him off. "Just go." He would have flipped Logan off, but then he'd also be missing a limb and not just his gift.

"Suit yourself." Logan stopped at the doorway, turned, and started, "You know…" —John sunk in the seat so that it'd be like Wolverine was talking to the chair— "Technically you can still control fire. You still can blow it out, and extinguish it."

John let out a loud groan and waited a few minutes before saying to Robin, "You're not a pipsqueak… well, not in my book anyway." He didn't notice Rogue standing behind the recliner.

"I think you talk to that bird more than you talk to me," she said softly, revealing her presence.

"Jealous?"

"Not at all… it's cute. I've never seen this delicate side of you. Frankly, I don't think anyone has."

"I'm just full of surprises."

Putting the jokes aside, it was time to get serious. She stood in front of him, blocking the fireplace from his view. "What are you doing to yourself, John? The broken glass, drinking, arson," she paused, "whatever this is…"

His grin faded. "Dealing with things my own way."

"So arson was on your agenda last night," she said, matter-of-factly. "You didn't tell me." Rogue crossed her arms, "Were you ever going to?"

"It had to be done. I can't explain it." He avoided her eyes and her question, but he knew, she knew the answer.

Unable to come up with a reply, Rogue left the den showing no sign of emotion in front of him.

The fire had extinguished ironically just as Rogue left. John shook his head, at her, at himself.

Twenty minutes later, he was still in the same spot.

Bobby blithely strolled into the den. "John, if you were a worm… would you rather drown, get fried on concrete by the sun, or eaten by a bird?"

Enough was enough. John immediately stood up, told Bobby he'd get back to him on that later and walked away.

* * *

John couldn't believe he was actually thinking about Bobby's stupid question; but it was better than thinking about his dreams, fire, and whether or not to find Rogue and let her in. It wasn't just simply 'letting her in' – it was _everything_.

Contemplating what to do, he paced back and forth in his room. Eventually, he decided to stop pacing because it wasn't helping, so he sat on the edge of his unmade bed. While in deep thought, dark clouds rolled in, covering the once clear blue sky. A loud crack of thunder snapped John out of it, and pouring rain started thereafter. He slowly stood up and put his hand in the Nike box, palm face-up, this time giving Robin the option to come to him. Without hesitation, Robin walked over and hopped into his hand. This small gesture wasn't small at all. Unfortunately, John's mind was somewhere else; therefore, he didn't think much of it. John left the room in search of his roommate.

* * *

Rogue held back tears while making her way through the corridors. She was about to exit the mansion when she realized what she needed to do. She needed to get inside John's head. It was the only way.

Rogue ran to Xavier's office and knocked on the door before entering.

"Have you located Magneto yet, Professor?" That wasn't the question she really wanted to ask.

"I'm still working on it. When I do, you'll be one of the first to know."

Rogue pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and asked him the real question, "I'm worried about John," she started, "he won't let me in. Something isn't right," she paused, "I need you to read his mind."

"Rogue, you know I can't do that."

"I know," she admitted. "I just had to ask. He's so angry and depressed. I don't know if he's trying to protect me or push me away. I don't know what he's thinking and we both know he can be reckless."

* * *

John found Bobby in the common room sitting on the couch watching television.

"Take care of her for me." John practically shoved Robin in Bobby's face as he instinctively took her from him. Once she was safely in Bobby's hands, John turned, walking out of the room as fast as he could without actually running. Robin let out a deafening screech. John heard it. Ignoring it, he continued.

He ran through the lower corridors without looking back. He stopped when he found the ladder to Rogue's safe haven. John took a deep breath before stepping onto the roof. It didn't take long before he was soaked from the rain. John stood at the roof's edge with various memories running through his head. They were the reason he was there, at the edge, ready to fall.


	13. Choices

**What the Hell?**

**Ch. 13**

**Choices**

_John stood at the edge of the roof, various memories running through his head. They were the reason he was there, at the edge, ready to fall._

He closed his eyes in an attempt to stop the memories that were flooding him; however, that just made them more vivid. Through his memories, he felt as though he was reliving all of the major events in his life in just minutes. Those were the occurrences that he decided molded his life to what it was. Would he have changed certain things if he could? Sure—though, he would never admit it to anyone—but there was no point in dwelling as the past would remain in the past. Everyone had to live with the decisions they made—good or bad.

John opened his eyes and looked down; drops of water fell in front of his eyes from dangling strands of hair, plummeting to the ground like liquid grenades. Heights didn't bother him; however, Robin's screech did. It was like she knew he was up to something. He slightly smirked at that thought as he pushed the wet hair from his eyes and wiped his face with his hand. Eventually, the good memories started to surface. There weren't that many, but they were significant, and if he ended his life, there wouldn't be any more to come. He'd been fighting his whole life: to belong, for purpose, to exist, and now he had to fight for his gift. A gift that was labeled a curse by many, John swore to himself that he would fight; and if he died trying, it would be worth it. He shut his eyes again as the rain continued to fall and cleanse.

"John?" Bobby spoke softly, moving cautiously towards his roommate. He stopped to give his friend a reasonable amount of distance. His stance indicated that he would be prepared for anything.

John's eyes snapped open. Eventually, he slowly turned around to face his counterpart. "I was just thinking," he said quietly, stepping away from the edge.

Gradually Bobby's stance became casual. "I hate to ask, but . . . you were going to jump . . . weren't you?"

John sighed and lowered his head. "I was thinking about it," he admitted and then glanced at Bobby to add, "but that's not the answer."

A crack of thunder caused both boys to flinch.

"After you," Bobby said, "Unless you'd like to be the _lucky_ one out of a million to get struck by lightning."

Once back inside, John ran his hand through his hair again. "I'm drenched." He wrung the tail of his shirt; water hit the floor creating a small puddle. "We're going to leave a trail of water behind. Not the best _new power_ if you ask me."

"I could always freeze it." He shrugged. "Someone is bound to slip either way."

"In that case, you'd be the first person to blame," grinned John. "Where's Robin?"

"With Logan," Bobby answered nonchalantly.

His jaw dropped. "Seriously?!"

Bobby straightened out his back and walked tall. "He didn't have a choice because I didn't give him one."

John clapped him on the back. "You've finally grown some balls. I'm proud."

"Shut up," Bobby said, pushing his roommate.

"How did you find me?" John asked.

"It took some time since we live in a mansion. First, I ran to the main entrance, asked around. No one had seen you. If you were planning to leave you wouldn't be concerned with who saw you, so I ruled that out. Then—"

"Wait." John faltered asking the question that was on his mind. "Did you run into Rogue?"

"No."

"Good."

"Even though Rogue never told me, I still knew it was her favorite spot," Bobby shrugged. "I'm a little surprised she told you, but I get it."

"If I had jumped . . . what would you have done?"

"I would have saved you," he replied, matter-of-factly.

"How?"

"I've learned a few things since you took off with Magneto," Bobby said cryptically but remained modest. "Besides, if I tell you . . . you won't believe me."

John stared at his roommate but Bobby kept his gaze straight ahead. "You need to show off more often, Drake."

They rounded the corner and stopped short with a simultaneous squeak from their footwear as Logan came towards them. The boys gave each other a quick glance before turning back to the person headed their way. The always fearless Wolverine looked like he was holding a newborn baby in the palms of his outstretched arms. Bobby and John never saw him so uncomfortable. It was amusing, though they didn't dare show it. Logan handed Robin over to John and then gave an icy stare to Bobby.

"What?" Bobby asked with an attitude to his tone.

"For that… I'm giving you fifty hours in the danger room."

Bobby crossed his arms, rolled his eyes, and drawled, "You cannot be serious."

"One hundred." Logan eyed the two boys in front of him and asked, "Why are the two of you soaked?"

John opened his mouth to explain but Bobby beat him to it. "Earlier I was out doing a mixture of things. I didn't know it was supposed to rain. I ran into John on my way out and hurriedly asked him to help me move stuff. We weren't even out there that long."

Logan eyed them both and grunted. He went between the two young boys and clapped Bobby on the shoulder. He couldn't see, but Bobby made a face.

As soon as the older mutant was out of earshot, John said, "Thank you for not spilling the truth even though he knew you were spewing total bullshit. I'm relieved he didn't press." He lowered his voice, "What happened on the roof stays between us."

"Understood." Bobby rubbed his shoulder. "Wolverine is going to kill me."

John smiled. "Can I watch?"

The ice mutant wanted to scowl but did the opposite instead.

John shifted his weight at the brief moment of silence. "We better change out of these damp clothes."

Bobby nodded. "There are sweats in the locker room, which is where I'm headed anyway. I'm going to the gym to get a head start because that man will break me if I don't. I can feel the bruise starting to form on my shoulder. He barely even touched me!" He took a few amble steps away and turned around to face John. "Before I go . . . are you sure you're okay?"

He thought about it for a moment before answering the question. "Honestly, I'm not sure, but I do know that I don't need to be observed twenty-four-seven or locked up in a padded room."

"Okay." Bobby turned around. As he strode away, he said sternly, "Don't make me encase your lifeless body in ice, _Pyro_. I'd do it too because I know you'd hate it."

Goosebumps started to appear on John's arms. It wasn't due to the threat, but he was still wet and his roommate dropped the temperature, which indicated that the warning was not a bluff. No matter the tone, when it came to Bobby you could tell he meant business by the temperature. The brunette exhaled and watched his breath swirl upwards until it disappeared. John quickly glanced down at his trembling feathered friend and then headed in the direction of his destination.

With each step, his sneakers made a wet squishy noise. A few students John passed along the way to his room asked him why he was wet, but he ignored the questions and the whispers. He entered his room, gently closed the door and placed Robin in the shoe box. John peeled off all of his damp clothes and stuck them in a corner on his side of the room. He put on a fresh pair of boxers and padded into the bathroom to dry his hair as best he could with a towel. Immediately after, he rolled into bed and placed his entwined hands behind his head. John's stare was vacant but rock-solid. His gaze shifted from the ceiling to a familiar Zippo that he tossed into the trash. He would've shoved it into a drawer, but he didn't feel like getting up. He stared at it until his eyelids grew heavy and gave out.

* * *

John was awoken by a sudden pull to his skin. His eyes snapped open as he yanked his arm away from Rogue. He yelled at her at the top of his lungs, "YOU HAD NO RIGHT!" He felt completely exposed among other feelings. Still half-naked, he stood on one side of the bed and she stood on the other.

"I'm not going to argue because you're right . . ." she paused, "but I knew something was going on with you. As your girlfriend, I had to know." She took a step forward. He took a step back.

He looked at the floor because he couldn't bear to look at her. "Get out!"

"Do you think yelling at me is going to scare me or drive me away, John? I told you that I love you. I still do."

"Get out." He repeated but with an even tone this time.

Rogue waited a few moments before taking a few short steps to the exit. She twisted the knob opening the door less than halfway and looked over her shoulder at him. His gaze remained on the floor. She shut the door in front of her and locked it. She wouldn't; couldn't walk away from him. She couldn't leave it alone. She wouldn't. Confidence and determination filled her veins with each step towards her seemingly broken boyfriend. She cupped his face in her hands. The fire and anger in his eyes were replaced with shame and defeat. "John." She waited until he met her eyes before she continued, "You have nothing to be ashamed about. You didn't go through with it. I understand that you feel empty, but you are still the smart ass I fell in love with. It took a little time, but I saw through you . . . eventually. I'm trying to tell you that I care. It's the reason why I betrayed you. I wish that I could use a different word, but it's apt for the situation and there's no reason to sugarcoat it. I know what I did; I heard it in your voice earlier. Truth be told, I knew how you were going to feel, but I made a choice." She fell silent for a few heartbeats, holding her gaze, refusing to look anywhere else. "Please . . . say something," she pleaded.

He always knew she was different than the other girls. It's the reason he was attracted to her from the start. Most would've exited after being ordered to leave. She didn't. He always thought he was destined to be alone, but yet, she was here, and he was trying to make her leave. He realized it was the anger taking over once again. She once told him not to bottle it up as nothing good came from it. It was time to take the advice he was given and let the anger go.

"I love you too, Rogue." After those five words were spoken she dropped her hands from his face and he leaned in to kiss her, cupping her face this time. After the kiss, he gently kissed her forehead and then embraced her. "If I didn't have you," he paused, "my prized possession would still be in a garbage bag somewhere."

That made her smile. It was his way of saying he cared. She knew he did, but a little reassurance never hurt. The couple disentangled. Rogue hooked a finger onto the elastic from his boxers. Her smile grew wider as her eyes slowly navigated from his body to his face. His expression emulated hers. She continued to smile as she guided him towards the bed by his underwear.


	14. You Can't Deny What Lives Inside You

**What the Hell?**

**Ch. 14**

**You Can't Deny What Lives Inside You**

Tangled in sheets, the couple slept. Rogue was using John's bare chest as a pillow. Through their makeup session, they were interrupted once—many hours earlier at an unidentified time—and as soon as Bobby started to pound on the door, the couple told him to go away in unison. Reluctantly, the ice elemental mutant did as he was ordered, relieved his roommate responded and wasn't alone.

John remained still as his eyelids lifted open. He heard Robin's movements within the box and was thankful she was being patient about breakfast. With his free hand, he held and played with a small portion of Rogue's white strands, while she continued to sleep. Was letting go of hate and anger as simple as being said? No, unfortunately, you'd be a fool to think otherwise. Those two feelings went hand in hand: hate and anger. However, on the other hand, a start's a start and you had to begin somewhere—regardless of the inevitable bumpy road ahead.

The bigger question was: do you explore the reasons for those emotions? They'd been a part of him and consumed him long before the Master of Magnetism was ever in the picture. John shook his head and sarcastically snickered under his breath at the first solution that came to him. "Too easy", he murmured.

"Hmm?" Rogue's hand lightly brushed his skin as it traveled to his right side, locking tight in a half embrace.

John kissed the top of her head and gently caressed her arm. "Good morning, lover." He felt her cheek shift to a grin.

Roughly thirty minutes later, she deeply inhaled as she positioned herself to a sitting position, slowly stretching and exhaling along the way. Rogue covered her chest with a sheet and used her uninhibited hand to fork her fingers through his disheveled brown hair.

"Whose fault was that?" John asked, smirking.

"I couldn't keep my hands off," she mused.

"At some point, I thought you were going to pull it out."

She smiled. "I was a little rough, huh?"

He shrugged. "I didn't complain."

Rogue bit her lip playfully. "No, you didn't," she agreed. "It's all there."

John stared at her as the sunlight highlighted every inch of her slender curvy frame. Robin brought him back to reality with a squeak; a reminder that it was time for breakfast and she was ready. He blinked a few times and took a mental picture of Rogue. "Stunning," he whispered, rolling onto his knees. John quickly placed his left hand at the back of her head, leaned in and kissed her deeply. Slowly, their lips parted. Their faces were only an inch away from each other. "It's going to be so hard keeping my hands to myself."

"I'm going to have that issue too." She gave him a quick kiss. "Go. You have responsibilities."

John made a face. "When you say it like that . . . "

"I know. You'll be okay." Rogue softly smiled at him.

John untangled himself from the sheets, pushed to his feet and padded a few steps to the drawer. She silently watched as he pulled out clothes. He felt her eyes on his bare behind. It pleased him as he wouldn't want her gaze anywhere else. Routinely he would cover that area first, but he decided to start getting dressed by buttoning a brown shirt. When John was done getting dressed, he pocketed his shark lighter without hesitation. He walked over to Robin's box, scooping her up. Once he was in the hall, he turned around, quickly giving Rogue a wink before shutting the door to his room.

* * *

John spent over ten minutes scouring the grass for the robin's breakfast. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing," he sighed. "How about giving the survival gifts you were born with, a try?" He bent down and Robin hopped onto the grass. "I did some research," he paused, "Shocked? I am too. Your species consumes about forty percent invertebrates like earthworms, caterpillars, and beetle grubs; and sixty percent of fruits and berries. The latter is easy." The small bird cocked its head to the side. "C'mon, stop looking at me and use your eyes. They are better than mine . . . especially for this sort of thing. Use your hearing too. The ground is still damp. It should be a pretty successful hunt. However, if you stay put . . . you won't find anythi—" John stopped short, taking in what he was saying as it applied to his predicament. Absently, he reached into his pocket, pulling out the Zippo. While in thought, in a particular pattern the lighter rolled between his fingers. The stupor state was broken a few minutes later when the silver object fell from his hand. John didn't move while scanning the lawn for Robin. His muscles relaxed when he spotted her doing her bird-thing: cocking her head left and right followed by a short sprint. He picked up the lighter, popped open the cap and placed a thumb on the wheel. No flame; just pathetic sparks. John wasn't surprised; he hadn't filled it in a while, nevertheless, that didn't stop him from getting back into an old habit.

"Hey."

John spun around, his heart pounding.

Logan held up his hands. "Sorry, kid. I didn't mean to startle you."

John noticed a slight shift to the older mutant's gaze and that's when he realized what he was doing inadvertently—trying to ignite the flint repeatedly. He immediately closed the fluidless Zippo and shoved it into his front pocket. Forcing a smile, John sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "What are you doing out here, Logan?" He paused for a moment, quickly adding, "Besides, increasing my heart rate."

Logan detected the slight drawl to his tone and countered, "Your answer to that question is probably more interesting."

"Robin is hunting," John replied and then turned around.

Logan walked beside him and snorted, "That's hunting?"

John didn't respond. After about five minutes, he spoke, his tone even, "It's weird," he paused, sighing. "Not being able to sense the pull I used to get when I had my power. This constant void I feel will never disappear unless we find _him_." His gaze remained straight ahead as he continued, "I can feel that emptiness expanding and I'm afraid that it's going to swallow me whole one day—my own black hole."

"We'll find him, always do. It's only a matter of time." Logan took off, uttering, "Don't hurt her, Allerdyce."

John remained silent, watching the taller man saunter away, racking his brain for the reason behind that warning.

After a few strides, Logan decided to give the boy a little more to work with. Raising his voice a few notches, he said, "It's in the air, kid."

Automatically, John lifted his right arm and took a whiff. It wasn't that. His eyebrows knitted together. "What the . . ." he murmured and then cursed at himself mentally for being momentarily dense. "Ugh, you have got to be kidding me! He can smell that too?" His eyes dropped to the ground, stopping when they met red feathers—the color of the bird's breast was more distinct than when he first found her. John picked Robin up and walked to a wooden bench nearby. After he sat down, he placed Robin on the bench. "Do you want to try to fly? If not, you should at least stretch your wings." John stuffed both hands into his pockets. It seemed to him that the young bird was pondering over the suggestion. A few minutes later, Robin opened both wings and began stretching them. In excitement, she started flapping them. "Feels good, huh? That's freedom." A few heartbeats later, John added, "They seem to work . . . now put them to work." With that pep-talk, like a rocket, she took off. Dipping so close to the grass, John thought she was going to crash; but in the blink of an eye, the robin gained altitude and remained in flight. John gladly watched as the world appeared to change for his feathered friend—becoming whole. He could see from her movements just what it meant to her to be flying. She perched herself on a tree branch, standing tall, alert. Robin hopped from branch to branch eventually snatching something with her beak. Gliding swiftly back to John, she deposited a crushed caterpillar next to him on the bench. She looked at him expectantly and John cocked his head to the side. "Ah, thanks, but I want you to have it." Robin nudged it closer to him. "I'm touched. I truly am, but . . . " he trailed off as he picked up the damaged insect to peer at it. It was as long as his index finger and the parts that weren't flattened were fatter than he would've preferred. John titled his head back, ' _one, two, three . . . down the hatch_.' At the mental 'three' he opened his mouth with no further hesitation, consuming the gift with as few bites as necessary. "I take it since you were so persistent that it was a parting gift, huh?" Knowing there wouldn't be a response, he waited anyway. After two minutes, smiling softly, he spoke, "Goodbye, Robin." She jumped on his knee for a brief moment and then took off in the direction that called to her. John watched her fly away until she was just another speck in the environment.

* * *

The sleeveless white t-shirt clung to John's damp skin. His sight was locked onto the dangling and swaying target in front of him. He tightened the gloves on his hands before throwing another punch at the lifeless object, though the motivation was far from lifeless. Adrenaline took over as John repeatedly pummeled the exercise bag. Aiming: high, low, mid-section, and high again and again and again.

At the touch to his left shoulder, John immediately spun around, cocking his right arm back. His arm sprung forward making contact with a face. Blinded by adrenaline, John bent over to catch his breath.

"Ow"

Still hunched overusing his gloved hands for support, John lifted his head and saw Bobby on the floor holding the left side of his face. "Shit. Sorry." He used his teeth to pull the Velcro to one of the gloves. Standing up straight, he stuffed the glove under his arm. John outstretched his other arm to Bobby and pulled his roommate to his feet.

Bobby flexed his jaw. "I called your name . . ."

John said nothing as he removed the other glove, brushing past Bobby to quench his thirst. After draining half of the water bottle, he sat on the bench, picked up a towel, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Rogue was looking for you," Bobby said, making himself an ice pack, he pressed it to his jaw. "I didn't expect you to be in here . . . let alone _working_ out."

"It's a good way to release anger." John took another gulp of water. "Hitting you was an accident, but it felt good," he admitted.

He smiled at the information and said, "Well, I'm glad it was helpful . . . for one of us."

John tried to hide his amusement and changed the subject, "Can you tell Rogue to meet me down here?"

"Mission accepted," Bobby replied and exited the gym.

Hastily, John stood to his feet and jogged into the hall just beyond the doorframe. "On second thought, Drake," he called out, "I'll find her as soon as I am finished here." Bobby didn't turn around; instead, he lifted his hand in acknowledgment.

Once back inside the gym, John bent over taking out a few things from his dark blue duffel bag and then stuffed a few into it. He removed his t-shirt and tossed a towel onto his shoulder, proceeding in the direction of the showers.

* * *

Lounging alone in one of the many commons rooms, Rogue tried to concentrate on the pages in front of her. After reading the same sentence for the fifth time, she gave up, tossing the book onto the far cushion. She would have to find out who the killer is another time.

When her eyes landed on John's figure, she swung her legs to the floor, stood up and placed both of her hands on her hips. She finally spoke when he was within a yard, "I thought you were going to meet me in your room after Robin's breakfast. Speaking of . . . where is she?"

"With nature where she belongs," he answered in a casual tone. "Her parting gift was a bug, a fat caterpillar to be exact, and I ate it . . . for her." The corner of his mouth quirked upwards briefly at the recollection, disappearing for the apology that followed, "I'm sorry, Rogue. I shouldn't have—," he paused, "I wasn't thinking. Anger took over my thoughts and—"

"I saw Bob—"

"That was an accident."

"I'm not accusing you of anything, John, but I can't deny that you didn't _shoot_ the messenger."

He smiled and cocked his head to the side, "There is some truth to that, but I never gave the _messenger_ a chance to speak before I clocked him. I'm surprised he didn't object to being the messenger again."

"He should've asked for a contract. There are labor laws . . ."

John laughed and Rogue couldn't help but laugh too.

When the amusement of the joke faded, John said, "I realized something this morning, Rogue," he began, "I don't know why it took me so long to get my shit together, but I'm done waiting. I'm done complaining. I'm done sitting on the sidelines. I should be helping. I was only with the Brotherhood for a year, but in that year I learned a lot about Magneto and how he operates. It's time for me to be useful instead of the opposite, which is how I've felt and how I've been acting ever since Magneto stripped me of my X-Gene. I want, need, control of my life back, and he's the ke—" He stopped short, in thought. A few seconds later, he flashed a grin, "He's the _relic_ key with all of the answers. He forced me into a mental and emotional prison, and I've finally broken out. Nothing—and no one—is going to hold me back. This is it."

Rogue's lips formed into a big smile, "I can see the determination in your eyes, hear it in your voice, and I can sense it." She hugged him and whispered, "I've missed this part of you—the spark before the flame."

Typically one with a quick tongue, John found himself speechless.

"Let's get to it, former Henchman." she teased, ending with a quick hit to his chest with the back of her hand and then took off in a sprint.

John watched as Rogue's hair flowed behind her like a river of brown silk. ' _Sometimes . . . all you need is a spark_ ', he mused, before running after her.


	15. The Spark Before The Flame

**What the Hell?**

**Chapter 15**

**The Spark Before The Flame**

Rogue waited briefly for John to come up behind her. As her hand rose, a fist formed; before making contact with the door, she mentally heard two words that allowed entrance.

They entered the office and stood side by side. The Professor was facing the window behind his meticulously neat desk. Rogue glanced at her boyfriend wondering what he was thinking.

Professor Charles Xavier barely moved as he made the wheelchair rotate to face them. He was smiling for two reasons. First, he glared in John's direction, "He's reminding himself to refill his lighter. He's also conjecturing what I've been doing all this time to find Erik."

John looked at her but held his tongue—not showing any signs of regret. Rogue felt her boyfriend's gaze. She opened her mouth to speak, but Professor X silenced her with his hand before she could utter a word. "As you both know, I don't typically enter your minds without permission, but—"

"You don't have to explain or apologize," John interjected and then smirked, "It's not a _crime_ to have some fun with your gift once in a while." He shrugged and added, "I have nothing to hide."

"What can I do for both of you?"

John countered. "Why ask the question when you already know the answer?"

The Professor's expression remained the same at the rhetorical question.

"What do we know?" John asked bluntly.

"It's been very quiet, I'm afraid."

He shifted his weight. "Well, as you already know, I want to help find him, and destroy what he hopes to accomplish."

Xavier nodded. "I thought you didn't play well with others . . ."

John snorted, "I was young, angry, and arrogant when I said that. I still am, I suppose, but I know I can't do this on my own."

"And you don't have to," Rogue added.

Less than twenty minutes later, everyone Professor Xavier telepathically asked to meet him in his office had arrived. Rogue and John had moved, planting themselves on either side of the desk, facing each other. They all stood in a half-circle, Scott at the peak with Jean and Storm at his sides. Kitty followed Bobby to the right. Last in, Logan made his way to the left, next to Rogue.

"I've called you all here to announce that it's time to accelerate the search on Erik with John's assistance."

Scott's ruby gaze locked on John. "What are your thoughts?"

"He's a sneaky son of a bitch and prefers underground bases. He doesn't find anything wrong with praying on the weak—those that are forced to hide. There hasn't been any news or we would've heard something, so that tells me this operation is extremely low-key and not aimed at humans . . . yet."

"Unless the humans he targets have no family," Storm suggested.

"Why would he betray his own kind?" asked Kitty.

Rogue answered resentfully, "He's done it before."

"John, what do you propose?" Scott asked.

"We scout mutant hangouts." He received more confused looks than he anticipated. "Why is it that Magneto knows about them and you don't?" he said, sighing, the question not directed at anyone in particular. "The hangouts are usually located underground or in abandoned buildings in desolate areas. You'll find the more interesting looking mutants underground. Ideally, the scout should be someone The Brotherhood—if present—won't recognize. They should also blend in." John took a breath before saying, "I want to give Magneto a surprise visit when the time is right." He shook his head because he knew what they were thinking, his tone hardened, "I'm going. Don't talk me out of it." He told everyone in the room. "I'm dead either way."

"Fine," Scott sighed and crossed his arms, "I mean . . . it's not, but okay; we have to discuss this, though. How are you going to protect yourself?"

John thought about the question before saying, "There have to be gadgets lying around that can give me some sort of defense."

"I'm not comf—"

"It's a risk I'm willing to take, Scott." John's eyes and tone matched in texture—firm and unbreakable.

The leader of the X-Men looked at his mentor for support.

Professor Xavier could make someone say or do anything he wanted, but he knew if he tinkered with John's mind, it would be the final act to push him over the edge. Xavier accepted the fact that either way blood would be on his hands. He knew the final decision the young man made was firmly wrapped in much thought and perseverance, and no matter which way he looked at the situation, he couldn't justify interfering. "It's his choice, Scott."

Scott's body hardened, but he didn't push.

Jean felt the disapproval coming from her husband, offering, "I'll do what I can to shield you—we all will try—but I can't make any promises."

John nodded. "I'm not looking for any. There are no guarantees in war."

Logan grunted. "Who is going to be the mole?"

The room fell quiet, until . . .

"I'll do it."

John moved from his spot to get a better picture. "She could pull it off," he said after a few moments. "If Kitty runs into trouble she can't be touched. What do you say, Leader?"

"Yeah, okay. I can't argue with that."

"For once," John muttered.

Hearing the comment loud and clear, Logan grunted in amusement and agreement.

"I'll make a list of the mutant hangouts I'm aware of. Kitty should be dressed like she's a runaway . . . Logan can help with that."

"On it." One set of Logan's claws ejected as he opened the door.

Kitty gasped as she realized where he was headed and what he was going to do. "Wait," she yelled, taking off after him.

"I don't know what she's worried about," said John, "I'd bet everything _I don't have_ that she can beat him without breaking a sweat." He snorted, "Hell, she won't even have to catch her breath."

"John, go to the basement," Scott instructed. "I'll meet you there in a little while."

"I'll come with you," insisted Rogue.

"Let's go." John looked over his shoulder, "Drake, are you coming?"

* * *

The trip to the basement was a quiet one. Once into the hall, Rogue's fingers intertwined with John's. John was the first to comment since leaving Xavier's office, "That went better than I'd expected."

"What if Kitty is asked to demonstrate what she can do?" asked Bobby from behind.

"Well, she can warn them first, which might make them reconsider or she can show some of her talents."

"I assume they'll have to see something," Rogue said.

"We could talk about all of the possible outcomes," replied John, "but ultimately it'll probably work out differently than we'd covered." He placed each hand in the back pockets of his pants. He felt cool metal on his fingers.

"I wonder what's in this room."

"We'll soon find out."

In the short space of silence, John started to laugh. "I was vulnerable when I had my power, so how is it any different now, really?"

"If you think about it . . . most of us are, actually," Rogue said. "Scott is just trying to protect the team. There's a lot of weight on his shoulders and he blames himself for everything; that's the burden of being the leader, I guess."

The doors to the elevator hummed open. Scott stepped out and made a beeline for the door without uttering a word. He placed his palm on a black pad. After he removed his hand, it lit up with a ten-digit keypad, each number highlighted by a red circle. He quickly punched in the code, convincing the door to slide open and allow access.

The lights in the room illuminated automatically once Scott stepped in. John couldn't believe the things he saw. The technology looked so futuristic; even Steve Jobs would be impressed.

Cyclops stopped in the middle of the room and turned around. "As you can see we're stocked with—using your term— _gadgets_ , but finding something that contains no metal will be a challenge," Scott said, stiffly.

"Got any flamethrowers?" Joked John, but there was no amusement in his voice or facial expression.

Scott regarded the young adult and said, "I know you're not serious, but what I'm going to say will be really important." He paused briefly and then told the well-known hothead to 'focus'. The leader of the X-Men purposely let the word soak in, before adding, "The mission always comes first. Personal feelings need to be pushed aside. Can you do that, Mr. Allerdyce?"

"Y—" John stopped short to raise his voice a few notches and to add confidence to his tone. "Yes."

"Good. Let's go find you some sort of defense."

* * *

All members of the team regrouped in the Ops room. John fished out the list of underground hideouts from his pocket, unfolded it and placed the crumpled sheet of paper onto a huge digital map. He smoothed out the wrinkles as best he could. When John touched an area on the map a red marker appeared. When he finished, there were a total of eleven markers. The map was projected on the wall for all to see with ease. "There are probably more, but these are the locations I'm familiar with. I've personally been to these." With blue markers, John indicated the five areas he'd visited. "I think we should hit the spots where you will find by definition living and breathing freaks." He held up his hands to defend his words. "For the record, they call themselves that! I'm not being intentionally insensitive." He took a breath and continued, "Kitty, be prepared for disdain. They don't care for normal folk." John ended the sentence using a southern accent. He tipped an invisible cowboy hat to her and winked. "Bobby, Rogue and I were talking and if you're asked about your power or required to demonstrate what you can do . . . I think it's best to keep the story close to the truth. Either they can believe you or you can destroy something of value—their choice." He held up a finger indicating he wasn't done, "Or . . . you can act naive—your choice."

Kitty's navy hooded sweatshirt was torn and holey in various spots; jeans were worn and torn at both knees. Fake plastic-framed glasses hung from the collar. "Whatever the situation calls for . . . that's what I'll do."

"Kitty will be going in alone," Scott explained. "We won't have eyes, but we'll be able to hear and we will intervene if necessary. The objective: to find out if anyone has seen anything odd that has happened within the last few weeks. The ultimate goal: finding the needle, of which, is Magneto. K—"

"The sharp pain in my ass," muttered John.

"Agreed," Logan said through clenched teeth.

Unfazed, Scott continued, "Kitty, I know I don't have to tell you this, but be aware of your surroundings and listen carefully for anything that you think is relevant to our objectives." He paused. "Everyone else, suit up and meet at the Northern garage in twenty minutes."

* * *

Kitty Pryde couldn't help but wonder if they'd find anything here since the first two hideouts they tried had been deserted. Ducking slightly, Kitty cautiously walked through the inclining storm drain. The only sounds she heard were those that came from her own movement. At the end of the drain, she hopped off and went right as that was the only option that didn't require revealing that dead-ends mean nothing to Shadowcat. Kitty trudged along the damp and chilly tunnel, stuffing both hands into her pockets. The further she went, the darker her surroundings became. She fished out a glow stick, bent it to break the inner container and shook the stick to fully mix the two components within: hydrogen peroxide and phenol. The stick glowed neon green as Kitty held it as far as her arm could extend in front of her. Kitty's heart rate increased at the sight of an opening. The entrance was half the height of a standard door. She ducked, keeping the glow stick close to her body. "There's no one here," she whispered, "I'm going to take a look around." Unlike the opening, inside she was able to stand up straight. Whoever inhabited the space took everything except for trash and crates, which, Kitty assumed were used as chairs. She picked up each one to make sure nothing was hidden underneath. Under the second to last crate, a piece of torn paper caught her attention. In white bold letters, it read '…ID OF THE GENE THAT MAKES YOU UNHUMAN? SPREAD THE WORD!' She bent down to pick it up and continued to read: 'Screenings will be held—' "Shit."

" _Are you okay_?"

"Yes, Jean," she responded in an even tone, "I think our objective just got a little more specific. I found something, but it's not complete. It seems like someone is claiming they can remove the x-gene, but unfortunately the location where the screenings are taking place was ripped off." Kitty folded the flyer and slid it into her back pocket. "I'll be out in a little while."

* * *

An hour later, Kitty entered the next mutant hangout. She didn't really know what to expect but she didn't expect it to look . . . so . . . normal. She made a noise in disgust at herself. _Normal_. What was normal anyway? From the entrance door-frame, Kitty scanned the room; mentally noting the people and the environment. She stopped counting heads after ten. As she walked in she decided to sit on a vacant stool by the bar between two sets of couples. The shelves were empty as well as the countertop. No one seemed to notice or seem to care she was there. Even though she wasn't complaining it made her feel slightly uneasy. Anti-mutant groups were growing rapidly each day, thus, in this world, if you were a mutant you had to be very cautious. She truly believed that would change one day, but for now, that's how it was.

Both pairs were distracted by their own conversations. Kitty leaned to one side so she could pull out the flyer without standing. First, she asked the pair to her left if they'd ever seen that advertisement. Both girls responded with 'no'. She did the same with the couple on the right receiving a 'no' and a 'nope' to her question. After asking a few more inhabitants of this current space the answers were no different.

"Have you seen this?" she asked once again, her interest fading with each unhelpful response.

"Why?"

That little question changed her stupor like shoving smelling salts under an almost down-and-out boxer's nose. Kitty cocked her head to the side, regarding the rough-around-the-edges type in front of her. He was much taller than she was, and his long black hair covered the majority of his face. He was the first to ask her a question. She'd conjured up a story for that question which involved a missing friend, but the vibe she felt coming from this man required a different story. "The location is missing as you can see, and I want the gene that makes me considered . . . a freak . . . gone!" Kitty resisted the urge to cover her mouth as she realized her tone had inadvertently elevated. On top of that, she sounded so convincing; even she almost believed the words that came out of her mouth. "So, can you help?"


	16. One Way Out

**What The Hell?**

**Chapter 16**

**One Way Out**

"Yes, I might know something," he answered after sizing her up with his gaze. "Follow me."

Kitty took a quick glance behind her to make sure a third party wasn't trailing them.

He led her into a tunnel that appeared to be unnatural. The surrounding space was tight but her tour guide moved effortlessly for someone with his stature. "My name is Dominikos, but I prefer Dom or Avalanche. What's yours?" he asked, his voice echoing.

"Jane."

"Where are you from, Jane?"

"Florida, originally," she lied again. Anything she was asked would be answered with fabrications except the one thing she might be asked to prove. After that question, the only sound to be heard was the shuffling of their feet.

"We're almost there," Dom announced and Kitty noticed some light up ahead. The tunnel didn't bother her but she was concerned about what she'd come face to face with once she got out. She held her breath as she entered the dimly lit cave. Right away she could tell this location was just used for screenings as the space wasn't big enough for much else. The computer was old—the bulky kind from the '90s. Kitty stood close to the only visible exit. Dom took a seat. He motioned for her to do the same but she declined.

"Fair enough," he said. Dom picked up one long leg, bent it at the knee and rested his ankle on the other leg that remained planted to the floor. Then he laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back in the chair. She matched his casual demeanor by subtly releasing the tension from her shoulders. "So let's get down to business, Jane. What can you do?"

She countered, "Why does that matter?" She noticed he was surprised by the question even though his poker face remained intact. Kitty assumed previous inquirers didn't think much of it and answered without hesitation.

He shrugged. "It's just a standard question that I'm required to ask."

After a few seconds of silence, Kitty answered, "I can disable electronics very easily." He had a hungry look in his eyes that made her uncomfortable. She stood up abruptly. "You know what . . . I've changed my mind," she said, her voice slightly quivering. She began to back away.

Avalanche stood up and held up his hands. There was a slight shake which caused a metal blockade to drop behind her. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to leave," he said evenly.

She noticed a trace of remorse in his voice.

He moved to get closer. Sidestepping away from him, Kitty made Avalanche close the gap between them. ' _Just a little bit closer_ ', she thought. ' _That's it. X marks the spot_.' As he reached for Kitty, her arm extracted with a viper's speed and her fingers wrapped around his forearm. She flashed him a toothy grin. It was time to get down to business. Kitty's facial expression changed to reflect urgency and seriousness without wasting time by using words. He noticed immediately and didn't struggle at the sudden turn of events."Hold your breath!" she told him quickly and clearly, just seconds before disappearing into the earth. With no time to waste, he did as instructed, and was pulled in just seconds after her. Having to hold her own breath, Shadowcat moved fast with Dom on her heels knowing the severity of their situation. She hoped it wasn't too long of a distance to the surface. ' _Get ready to hold him, Jean. He goes by the name Avalanche. It's self-explanatory_.'

' _We're in position. Don't panic. You're almost there_.' Jean's reassuring words boosted Shadowcat's confidence. Nothing filled her mind besides the task at hand. Before she knew it, her head emerged from the ground as did her unwilling hitchhiker's just seconds after. Shadowcat released her grip once they were fully on solid ground. Trying to catch their breath, the pair remained seated on the dirt. The X-Man had trained to strengthen her breath-holding skills so she didn't need much time to recover and was able to stand up after a few moments. Avalanche was on his hands and knees coughing and wheezing. He held his stomach. "Holy . . . shit," he managed to get out between panting. When Avalanche raised his head, his jaw marginally opened at what he saw and then he looked behind, concluding he was surrounded. Before he could get his foot planted onto the surface, Jean telekinetically held him in place. He grunted, trying to move. Since that failed, he tried to use his power. He grunted again. Defeated, Avalanche snarled at Jean. She responded by willing him to stand, making it crystal clear who was in control.

His glare lingered on Jean and then he eyed the men next to her. "What do you wa—"

"Don't be dense," Wolverine interjected. "We don't have time for games."

"What's Magneto's plan and where is he?" asked Cyclops.

Avalanche remained silent. John walked up to him. "You don't need to talk for us to get the information we're looking for," he said, turning to glance at Jean and then back to their captive, flashing him a knowing grin.

"Get outta my head, bitch!" spat Avalanche.

She ignored him. "It's unclear why, but certain powers are highlighted. In other words: high-demand. Our friend here was going to alert his contact of Kitty. He doesn't know Magneto's hideout, but there's another mutant hangout nearby that might answer that question for us."

"I have to go back," announced Shadowcat. "I'll check the computer." She phased feet first into the ground like it was quicksand.

**x - X - x - X - x**

Plopping down into the chair, Kitty booted up the outdated computer. On the screen, a passcode prompt greeted her. She could've asked Jean for help, but it was unnecessary because hacking was one of Shadowcat's specialties. In less than five seconds, Kitty bypassed the lazy security block. Folders scattered the desktop along with a few shortcut icons to games. The first few folders she opened were empty and she promptly dragged them to the trash—back then the folders all looked the same regardless if they were empty or not. The next one she clicked open had two paint files. As soon as she closed out of it she figured it was no harm to actually look at them. The first one was abstract, different colors and textures filled the canvas—the result of boredom. The second proved her instincts were on par. The lists didn't layout the overall plan but any clue would be utilized no matter how big or small.

' _They are taking powers but it's as if they are hand-picking them: Portals, Morph, Earth, Fire, Boom_.' Shadowcat took out her cell phone and took a picture of the screen. ' _I have other folders to view and then I'll check the hard drive. However, there doesn't seem to be much here. Hopefully, we'll have more to work with at the next spot_.'

**x - X - x - X - x**

Upon the X-Jet, Cyclops and Storm were at the controls. The rest of the X-Men were in their seats talking among themselves. Jean's responsibility was keeping Dom from using his power and denying him movement from the lone seat he inhabited in the back.

Every so often John would turn to glance at Magneto's current pawn, itching to get things off his chest. He faced forward again in his aisle seat in the last row. Agitated and anxious, his leg bounced. He stomped his foot and ended the shaking, giving in to scratch the persistent itch. John turned to the side, legs and feet blocked part of the aisle. His left arm dangled over the backrest. "Why are you helping Magneto?" he finally asked, his tone demanding an answer, and the chatter aboard the aircraft ceased.

"When it all goes down, I'll be on the winning side," he replied, fully confident.

John cocked his head to the side. "If he succeeds, what makes you think he won't take yours?"

Demeanor unfazed, Avalanche didn't respond.

"I know him _very_ well," John said. He used to be proud of that fact.

Flashing John a knowing look, he said gleefully, "You're Pyro . . . well . . . _were_." Avalanche laughed, trying to get under his skin. "You should consider yourself lucky because you're still breathing, _traitor_."

"You're not too bright, huh?" John stood up and closed the gap between them. "I'd be six feet under if that's what he wanted. Ha! Hell no! Too easy." John was nose to nose with Avalanche, both hands in fists at his side. Through clenched teeth, he continued, "He wants me _breathing_ because he knows me just as well."

Phasing into the Blackbird, Shadowcat took her seat. "Ready when you are, Cyclops."

Before John could fully verbally explode, Kitty's return snuffed the heat. He relaxed his hands and turned his back on Dom. "What'd you find?" he asked her.

"Not a whole lot, but at least we're making progress. I wasn't expecting much—the computer is ancient. No e-mail access, which means it's purely there just for show. I put it out of its misery."

Supporting destruction, John smirked.

It was Kitty's turn to ask questions. "So, Dom, what was next for me? You found my gift intriguing, well, part of it." She paused. "Let me rephrase. Once you trap someone what's the procedure?"

He answered without hesitation. "Rejects either get the 'come back in a few months' spiel or they are told to go to a specific location for evaluation. You, on the other hand, are special. Very, very special. " He shook his head and smiled. "I should've known something was up—you were like the unicorn among donkeys." He sighed. "Anyway, back to your question . . . you would've been sedated and personally delivered to Magneto by one of his trusted associates."

"You've obviously been to the next location we're headed to . . ."

"Yeah, I've been there a few times. Compared to mine, that one is a complete one-eighty."

"He thinks we'll get more answers there," Jean filled in.

Dom clarified, "I've heard things."

Jean arched her brow. "You think we'll find Magneto there."

"Yes," he admitted.

"Step on it, Cyc!" urged John.

* * *

In a desolate area, Cyclops landed a mile away from the hideout. He set the jet to remain in stealth mode indefinitely. As a group, they went over the plan when the young trio had finished changing into everyday clothes.

"Iceman, Shadowcat, and Rogue will go in first," Cyclops reiterated. John didn't dispute and held a neutral expression as he listened. "Find out what you can and observe," the X-Men leader told the youthful mutants. "The rest of us will remain here until needed."

Rogue pulled her hair back, wrapped a tie around it and tucked away her identifying trait under a schoolboy style hat. First, she touched Wolverine to absorb a good chunk of his healing ability, giving him plenty of time to recover. Then she went over to Jean and Avalanche. Jean nodded for her to go ahead. Both of Rogue's hands reached for his face. He tried to avoid her touch, but she inevitably made contact with his skin. He bellowed while she continued skin to skin contact. She held on long after he passed out, giving Jean the green light to release him. His body slumped in the chair followed by his head after the Southern belle let go. "He'll be out for a while," insisted Rogue. She gave John a 'see you later' kiss and waited for the ramp to be lowered. "Let's rock and roll," Rogue said, once the ramp touched the ground. She was the first to exit the jet followed by her closest friends.

At a half-mile, that's when Rogue planned to tell her.

"He's got a crush on you."

Kitty shot Rogue a surprised and confused look. "Who?" she asked. The question escaped her lips quickly. " _No_ . . ." Kitty whispered absently in disbelief after thinking about it for a few moments. "He wanted to hand me over to . . . to Magneto!" She tugged at her hoodie, adjusting it.

"That was before he got to know you a little better," teased Rogue.

"That doesn't explain anything. He still barely knows me. He doesn't know me at all."

Rogue wasn't fooled as her friend's words didn't match her expression, but she kept that fact to herself and shrugged instead. "I guess phasing is a turn on. Unless . . . it was the dominant way you handled yourself. We've worked together many times. I know you. That's how you are. No one would ever guess it just by looking at you. And that's an example of why they say not to judge a book by its cover. I bet he's wondering if you're that way behind closed doors." She smirked, elbowed her friend, adding, "We all heard him. He sounded impressed once he was able to breathe after that unique journey you forced upon him. Towards the end, Avalanche was an open book." Rogue shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe something John said made him think twice."

"Or maybe he just has the hots for a short, smart brunette," Bobby offered, simplifying.

"He did eye grope me. I thought he was just—" she stopped, feeling a blush about to form. "Forget it."

**x - X - x - X - x**

The three young X-Men stood in front of the dilapidated multi-story commercial building. Nothing about the outside of the building was attention-grabbing purposely maintaining a low-profile preference. All of the windows were covered from the inside by cardboard including the double doors in front of the trio. Simultaneously Rogue and Bobby opened either side allowing Kitty to enter first. The lobby was empty. As they walked, they discovered the entire first floor was no different. On the elevator directory in permanent marker, an "M" was scrawled next to floor five. Iceman punched the up button and the doors opened immediately. He walked in first and spun around to say, "Going up?" The girls brushed past, ignoring him. "Going up," he said again before pressing the correct numbered button. No music played as the elevator went into motion. Rogue kept her head down. Shadowcat spotted a camera using her peripheral vision. She also noticed a special compartment that required a key by the electrical panel.

The doors slid open to reveal an environment every white-collar worker wished they had in their office: Coffee tables and beaten sofas replaced cubicles. Small flat-screen TVs covered inspirational cliché posters.

Mutants of all shapes, sizes, and colors were present. The trio split up to observe, listen, and question. The latter wouldn't be rushed. They were too close to get sloppy now.

Iceman didn't go far. He stood in a corner, eavesdropping on the couch conversation between a handful of mutants that were unable to blend in with the rest of society.

Down the hall, lights were off in all of the offices Rogue passed by. Each office inhabited by the homeless or by being forced out of their homes by the people they thought loved them no matter what. Evidently they were wrong. This is where they would sleep now and call home. Emotions resurfaced that she thought were once long gone. Ostracizing was around way before mutants started popping up on judgmental asshole's radars. With her feelings fueled by what she witnessed and Avalanche's power, adrenaline pumped through her veins at an alarming rate. In order to keep the upper hand on Magneto, she had to keep herself in check. Plus there were too many lives at stake for her to cause the building to collapse with a borrowed ability to use against the enemy and his followers. Feeling apprehensive, Rogue locked herself in a single toilet bathroom, cut the lights and leaned on the door with her back as she slid down to the tiled floor. Her bare hands shook in eagerness. Focusing on anything else, she thought of her boyfriend. He entered her mind, encouraging her to save the adrenaline for the real battle.

Eyeing a closet, Shadowcat made sure the coast was clear before phasing inside to make her way down. She slowed her pace between each floor checking for potential witnesses before going to the next. Passing the main floor, the next was farther down than the rest. Less than half of Shadowcat's head emerged from the ceiling to look for security cameras. One faced the elevator and another moved from side to side at the far end of the room. Before the camera could capture her presence she disappeared making a beeline for it. She saw the wires that operated the surveillance system and moved around them meticulously to not disrupt the feed. Her head and hands phased out from the wall next to the mechanical target. As soon as it pointed to the elevator Shadowcat wedged a bobby pin (aka kirby grip or hair grip) into it and then fully exited the wall. She landed on the floor in a crouch to save her legs from unnecessary pain. At the other end of the room, a metal door hid what was behind it. With no time to waste, she pushed the chair out of her way. Working fast, this computer had more safety measures in place. Every so often she'd glance at the surveillance to make sure it was still jammed. Shadowcat bypassed everything in less than a minute. Unlike Dom's desktop, this one was blank. The trash bin was empty too, but she right clicked 'undo' and files populated. She opened the document that wasn't untitled. It contained a list of the deceased. Then she highlighted multiple data files, opening them all at once. Each one contained a different cured hopeful complete with picture, age, height, weight, eye/hair color, power, etc. As she went through the files she mentally read off the powers to Jean. ' _Fire, Earth, Portals, Boom_ —'

Hearing the elevator come to life, Shadowcat cut the list short, dragged all of the files into the garbage and deleted them again. She put the chair back in place, making the workspace look undisturbed, then disappeared into the same wall she came from to retrieve the bobby pin.

**x - X - x - X - x**

Absently, Rogue exited the bathroom and ran into a figure. Keeping her eyes on the floor, she said, "I'm sor—" Rogue flinched when the person put his hand on her shoulder. Her gaze met perfect blue orbs.

"Don't worry about it," Bobby assured. "Are you . . . all right?"

"I will be," she answered. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Did you find out anything?"

He nodded. "Missing people."

Rogue frowned.

Kitty appeared behind them and motioned for them to go into the bathroom.

Once they were out of unwanted earshot, she explained, "He's here. I haven't actually seen Magneto but I know this is where he'll be. I don't want to trigger any suspicion. Stay here and wait for me. I'm going back down to find another entrance." Rogue and Bobby nodded in unison and watched her disappear.

**x - X - x - X - x**

To see what was behind the metal door, Shadowcat took a slightly different path while phasing. She soon discovered this route was more of an obstacle course. The task: avoid touching anything electrical. The extra technology pinged at her. The urgency was high to begin with, but now, even more elevated. Kitty was one hundred percent focused and completed the challenges flawlessly. She stopped near a surveillance camera and took a peek. If she were able, she would've gasped at the ghastly sight. A chill as quick as lightning ran down her spine. A hasty decision would have to be made quickly as she wasn't going to be able to hold her breath much longer. It pained her to leave but the plight in this room would have to wait. Kitty descended. Needing to exhale and inhale—as all humans do regardless of an extra gene that some say determines you're not—she'd have to dismiss the recon training.

Once back on solid ground, she dashed into a nearby closet. In the dark, Kitty felt the wall by the door for a light switch. When that was unsuccessful she turned around and waved her hands in the middle of the room searching for a pully. She grabbed it as soon as it touched her skin and pulled down. Kitty quickly surveyed her surroundings, turned over an empty bucket, shut off the light, and sat. While her body was taking a break, her mind was sharp and working overtime. Shadowcat closed her eyes and breathed in and out slowly before plunging even deeper into the unknown.

Sitting as far from Avalanche as possible, John's body lounged across three seats near the front of the Blackbird. He closed his eyes and listened as Scott did maintenance checks for the jet. John was about to doze off when Scott called his name.

His eyes remained shut. "Hm?"

"What's the most important thing I taught you?" Scott asked.

"You even labeled it that." John smiled at the memory. "You said: 'Listen up. This is the most important thing I'll ever teach you.' I'm sure everyone remembers. Yes, I was paying attention . . . even though it probably didn't seem like it." He opened his eyes and answered keeping a straight face.

Logan scoffed, "Wow. You're wasting space in your memory bank for _that_?"

John shrugged and then sat up. "Jean, how's Shadowcat doing?"

She held up her hand. Soft grunting could be heard from the back of the jet. After a few moments, she said, "Suit up and get your things. Logan, take care of Mr. Petrakis. We'll be leaving shortly."

* * *

John, the last to exit, regarded Avalanche. Taking in Wolverine's handiwork, he laughed and said, "Now . . . that's art." He held his gaze and paused for a moment, adding, "Inside joke. You won't get it." Dom remained quiet as he glared at his taunter. John double-checked the x-gene neutralizing collar and patted a piece of metal that held Avalanche in place. "Sit _tight_. We'll be back," he informed as he headed toward the ramp.

"So confident . . ." growled Avalanche, "what makes you so sure you'll return?"

John stopped in the middle of the metal ramp; his jaw slightly twitched but offered no reply as he continued descending.

As soon as he stepped off the Blackbird's ramp, it lifted and sealed shut. John inspected the armor covering his body, and announced, "I feel like I'm part of a SWAT team in this garb."

"Your suit is by far superior," Storm told him. "It has no metal, it's fireproof, and it should absorb most—"

"After all you are human," interjected Wolverine.

"Quit stabbing me with your words!" joked John, smirking. "My human heart can't handle it and this suit can't protect me from them."

"Nor my claws."

"All right . . . now you're just showing off and that's my job!" John Allerdyce bypassed everyone and turned around to face them. "Enough talk." His grin shifted into a devilish smirk, and then he said, "Lets put those adamantium claws to work."

* * *

**John's POV**

Storm chose to remain outside of the building to help direct innocents, create cover as needed, and get her power directly from the atmosphere.

Jean and I stayed behind in the main lobby as the others made their way to a specific closet with directions given telepathically to Jean from Shadowcat. Jean then passed the directions onto Cyclops without uttering a word—I could tell from them nodding to each other. I'm sure the couple also said some short non-mission statements like 'I love you' and 'Be careful'. From there, Shadowcat would use her phasing ability to bring the others to meet up with Bobby and Rogue. When she met us using her unique way in the lobby she looked considerably drained, but I kept my observation to myself. Jean pulled the fire alarm and the elevator doors automatically opened. All three of us gathered in the elevator and took Shadowcat's hand on either side. "It's a long way down so stay calm and hold your breath," she told us, yelling over the noise.

It's a strange feeling passing through solid. However, the view wasn't very exciting. Kitty gave a thumbs-up as best she could while holding my hand so I guess that meant I was doing well. Once out, there was a short drop to the cave floor. I would've landed on my ass if Jean hadn't stepped in to assist. Jean used her power to land gracefully like a badass; while Shadowcat didn't need any help. She bent her knees before her feet touched the ground to absorb the shock of the landing to protect her knees from injury.

The cave was spacious. No ducking required. I took my place at the end of the line next to Jean. All of us stood in a single row like soldiers. There was no reason to move. Without a doubt, Magneto was aware of our presence. We waited. I was getting impatient so I spoke up. "Show yourself, coward," I yelled to the empty space in front of us.

After a little more waiting, the master of magnetism came out of hiding and stood as far from us as he possibly could. "Always so rash, Mr. Allerdyce," Magneto ridiculed. "Have I taught you nothing?" I kept my lips sealed so he continued to talk to me as he took a few steps closer to his adversaries, "I admire your bravery, however. Powerless and yet you're here ready to fight." He paused, looked directly at me, and spoke forthright, "You know you're not getting out of here alive . . . right?"

My gaze never wavered and my facial expression remained the same—hard as stone. "Neither are you."

Magneto gave me a tight-lipped smile. "It's time for you to all to meet your maker. I'd like to introduce—" he paused until she appeared before us, "Ultimatum; formerly known as Lifeguard."

She appeared to be in her mid-20s, equivalent to Magneto's height, donned a similar helmet like his, but hers was gold to match her metallic gold skin/armor, and she had shoulder-length golden hair. Ultimatum showed no emotion; eyes bright but lifeless as she stood beside my former mentor.

"She can do what you've always wanted, John," Magneto taunted. "Show him," he ordered.

Fire easily spewed out of Ultimatum's metallic palms. She turned them down to the ground and drew a charred line at their feet.

My heart dropped. Not because she didn't need an external source, but because I missed that special part of me. Seeing it again after all this time reopened the wound tenfold. The tingle I used to feel when a flame was present wasn't there. I made sure not to show Erick how his mental angle was working. I'm already broken; there's nothing left to shatter. And there is no way in Hell I'm going to give him the satisfaction.

I stepped forward.

Magneto smiled. He turned his head to look at her and spoke with pride. "Lifeguard can adapt to any threat." He spread his arms out. "Ultimatum can do so much more." His deep laugh laced with superciliousness echoed.

Kitty gasped, and spoke low enough for our entire line to hear, "He gave her extra powers. Not just John's but a handful of others."

Wolverine charged first. Magneto didn't interfere. Claw met golden armor in the middle of the cave. She blocked each attempt and knocked him on his ass with a quick low sweep of her long leg. Her hands glowed green and thick roots wrapped around Wolverine's limbs and torso keeping him down and bound.

Iceman slung ice daggers at Ultimatum as Cyclops freed Wolverine with his optic beam. Ultimatum answered by emitting fire like a flamethrower while simultaneously tossing irritating marble-sized bombs at Bobby. I watched as his skin turned to ice, transforming him literally into his codename. He quickly aborted his position, hopping aboard the beginning of his slide as he blasted the opponent with continuous ice while building his personal monorail.

My jaw dropped. I was so caught up in my own shit that I didn't know Bobby's mutation evolved until just now. No one else seemed to be taken aback which signifies they already knew. Plus, this skill required a great deal of practice and he looked flawless as he gained speed. My smile grew wide to mirror his. I'll admit . . . it looked fun. Alas, the amusement had to be cut short since our lives were on the line. Ultimatum vanished and then reappeared about a foot in front of Iceman. He was unable to react fast enough due to bewilderment and speed. Ultimatum crouched low which made Iceman inevitably tumble over her with a helpful effortless lift. Jean stopped him from slamming to the ground below. During the short lull of combat, our foe took the opportunity to destroy portions of the ice slide.

Jean used her telekinetic power to pummel the enemy with various shapes and sizes of frozen water all at once. The smaller pieces just bounced off of her armor but the bigger ice chunks made her stagger. She looked pissed. Her hands glowed green. The retaliation was aimed at all of us. Thick roots wrapped around my legs and stopped at my torso. A quick shake almost made me lose my balance. Rogue shared my predicament. She apologized for the unintentional movement. The rest of the X-Men managed to keep from being constrained by using their individual gifts. I told Rogue to stop struggling once I figured out the roots were tightening with each attempt to resist. My eyes searched frantically as something important was missing.

"Where is he?" I yelled. Magneto was nowhere to be seen. Absently, I must've been struggling because breathing was becoming difficult. I was on the verge of passing out as black spots formed in my eyes. The next thing I knew, I was falling but free of roots thanks to one of my teammates. I believe I braced myself but it happened so fast that I don't remember. On my knees, I immediately and audibly sucked in air to relieve my deprived lungs. Rogue came up beside me and asked me how I was. "Fine," I mumbled, ticked that Erick disappeared but grateful he couldn't mess with Wolverine. I wanted revenge, however, that was secondary on my list. Rogue helped me to my feet.

I announced, "The suit might protect me from many types of powers, but it acts like a vice. I'm a dead man if she constricts me again."

Cyclops fired his beam above Ultimatum and boulders fell on top of her. With claws extended, Wolverine got closer. Shadowcat trailed behind him. Ultimatum shot out like a rocket with the aid of golden wings. Boulders flung everywhere. Shadowcat made Wolverine intangible and both of them were unscathed. I fished an expandable riot shield out of my pocket and pulled Rogue close to me. Within seconds of pressing the button, the shield opened to full capacity deflecting debris.

We all tilted our heads back.

Looking up, Wolverine grumbled, "Wings too?"

"C'mon, Lifeguard," I pleaded, "let us help you. We don't want to fight."

Her head jerked my way. "Ultimatum," she uttered with an Australian accent, speaking for the first time. Then her face twisted in a way that made me realize I was her next target. Apparently, I'd offended her. I shoved Rogue away as Ultimatum dove straight for me, her armored right arm pulled back. I wondered if I'd feel any pain. Seconds later I decided that it would be quick, so I wouldn't, which comforted me, oddly. I closed the shield and tossed it aside. It wouldn't be useful for this.

"NOOO!" Rogue's scream echoed.

**Third Person POV**

Motionless, John Allerdyce braced himself. He closed his eyes, accepting his fate. In his mind, he pictured Rogue smiling at something in the distance. The sun highlighting and enhancing her beautiful auburn hair. It was the simple things in life that were most breathtaking. Love isn't simple, but when established, it triumphs over everything else.

The blow never came. Instead, John heard a crash that made his body jerk. His eyes opened to see Ultimatum picking herself up off the ground. She ended up farther than he expected.

"Thank you, Jean. I owe you one." Even though his eyes were closed before he knew she was the teammate to thank. "My priorities have changed," proclaimed John. "Let's end this or take her out." Rogue embraced him. "My life is no longer willingly on the line." John hooked his arm around his girlfriend.

Ultimatum took flight once again.

Cyclops nodded to Shadowcat and Jean. "It's time."

The red-head nodded once in acknowledgment, lifted Kitty by using her mind and launched her right at the opponent. Shadowcat passed through fire and then the source itself. Jean steadied Shadowcat behind Ultimatum as Kitty swiftly reached for the helmet and yanked it off. Jean released her hold on Shadowcat and the young mutant fell with the helmet still in her hands. Both disappeared into the earth below.

Bellowing, Ultimatum clutched her head. Still suspended high above the ground, she writhed in pain.

Unable to help, the group watched. Jean held her, keeping her airborne until her fidgeting ceased. "She's not suffering physical discomfort. Her pain is emotional and mental," Jean clarified. "She's been through a lot," she added, softly.

Kitty returned to the other side of the cave where Magneto had come from earlier. "I found a way out," she paused, amending, "the only way out." Kitty looked up. Her eyes followed Ultimatum's slow and steady descent as her body was placed in front of Kitty's feet.

As if a switch had been turned off, Ultimatum succumbed and all of the stress and tension in her face disappeared. By Jean's influence, she then fell into a peaceful slumber. Her armor dissipated and was replaced by flesh—her natural human form.

Kitty shrugged off her hoodie and quickly covered all of Ultimatum's exposed private parts with it.

The group made their way over to join Shadowcat.

"Now what?" asked John as he took out a plastic water gun with lighter fluid inside.

"First and foremost, we have to get her back to the mansion," replied Jean.

Kitty knocked the plastic gun out from John's grip. Before he could utter a complaint she said, "Not yet. There's a more fitting place to start that and you can have the honor . . . " She took a breath. "At a later time. I have to stay behind as there are other things going on here."

Scott asked, "Shadowcat, are you sure?"

Without hesitation, she nodded.

"We don't know for sure Magneto fled the area," advised Rogue.

Kitty turned to Scott. "I have to stay. It's important. Do you want me to show you?"

He was able to see the seriousness of the issue in her brown eyes. He gave her a soft smile in understanding. "No, that won't be necessary but I don't want you here alone." Scott took a moment to consider the options. "Storm will stay with you. Find her and comb the building for individuals. I want this structure cleared and kept that way so we can deal with it when we get back. Once that's done, secure the entrances and disable the elevator. Keep in touch. We'll do the same."

Kitty nodded and told the group the exit route from the cave before running off to carry out Cyclops' instructions.

Rogue bent down to put the hoodie correctly on Ultimatum. The men turned around out of respect. She situated it properly behind the motionless woman, pulled her arms through and zipped the front.

Back still turned, John took off his pants and outstretched his arm to his girlfriend. "Thanks," she said, retrieving the article of clothing from him.

"Peace offering," he quipped as he thrust his foot into his footwear. "She tried to take my life, but she can have my pants instead." After the collective amusement ceased, John shrugged, adding, "I think that's fair."

When finished, Rogue straightened. "She's decent, y'all can turn around now."

"I'll carry her," volunteered Iceman, eagerly. He bent using his knees and scooped her up in his arms. Ice sheathed his entire body as he straightened. With an open palm pointed to the ground by his feet, ice discharged. Bobby rose and rose atop a three-foot-tall ice post, deliberately making it low. With an outstretched arm, the beginning of the slide began to form. He hopped aboard from the post, not interfering with the momentum. Jean followed close, floating to keep up with his speed. The rest trailed behind at a jog.

The route was curvy but spacious . . . until now.

Logan stood outside the opening of the tunnel with a five-foot radius and sniffed. "I smell fresh air." Wolverine gestured to take over carrying Ultimatum, but Bobby shook his head, declining the offer.

"I alerted the Blackbird to meet us," Cyclops announced and motioned for Bobby to lead. The rest followed suit, bending at the waist.

Once upon the jet, Cyclops hurried to the controls. Bobby placed Ultimatum in the back row in a seat next to the window. He took the adjacent seat near the window so that Jean could be close and keep a watchful eye on the unconscious blonde.

Fingers interlaced, Rogue and John were last to board. Distracted by Avalanche, John stopped short which made his girlfriend jerk back slightly.

Avalanche's face was blanched with obvious terror in his eyes.

John let go of Rogue and held up his hands. "I know, I know. I'm supposed to be dead." He nudged his head toward the female blonde. "She was close," he admitted.

Dom spoke slowly through gritted teeth, "I almost shit m-my pa-pants."

"Oh, the jet!" John mocked, relishing the opportunity to get in some verbal jabs. He smiled, showing teeth. "That's the reason you look like you've recently seen the Grim Reaper." John looked down at his bare legs. "Speaking of pants, as you can see I'm not wearing any. I didn't soil mine—in case you were concerned—during my moment of questionable fate. They were donated." He interlocked fingers with Rogue again. The jet's engine roared to life and the couple took their seats.

Not one word was spoken since take-off. Jean slept, snoring lightly. Ice armor gone, Bobby mirrored Jean's state minus the snoring. Rogue's body lay across two seats, her head rested on John's stomach, her fingers traced and caressed his. Leaning back in the co-pilot chair, Logan had a bird's-eye view of the sky.

"Where is Jane?" Dom's question broke the silence.

"Wh-" John stopped short. To not disturb Rogue's comfort, he didn't move from his current spot. "Oh, she's staying behind. She didn't provide specifics, but whatever she saw," he paused, choosing words carefully, "didn't sit well." Since Dom couldn't see John's expression, he added, "And I'm putting that lightly."

"Did you find him?"

"Yes," John sighed, "and he fled just like he always does. He's a fucking coward. I wish I had picked up on that trait long ago, but I gladly and willingly absorbed the shit he fed me. So did you and the rest of his followers. Pawns. That's all you are to him. He's a master manipulator and that skill surpasses his x-gene talent. Manipulating people is by far more dangerous—it's something I've mulled over a lot recently and that's my final conclusion. I know I'm only human—because of him—so it might sound to you that I'm shitting on him because of it, but he'd shove you into the line of fire to save himself. He's not worthy of your loyalty. Are you willing to trade your life for a coward's?"

As intended, that uncomplicated question went unanswered ending the conversation between the two. John tilted his head to the left to focus on Ultimatum. She had the one thing he missed most and it was taken without his consent. He didn't blame her. She too was a victim. "All this time and I still can't fathom that he pulled it off," John murmured, shaking his head. He rubbed his temple with his free hand as Rogue continued to hold on to the other. Eyes heavy, they inevitably closed. A moment later, John's head softly made contact with the headrest and centered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I continue? Leave comments. I appreciate them.


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